Biology subjects

Lepanto, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Lepanto, P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Phasor-Based Multi-Harmonic Unmixing for in-vivo Hyperspectral Imaging

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a paramount technique in biomedical science, however, unmixing and quantification of each spectral component is a challenging task. Traditional unmixing relies on algorithms that need spectroscopic parameters from the fluorescent species in the sample. The phasor-based multi-harmonic unmixing method requires only the empirical measurement of the pure species to compute the pixel-wise photon fraction of every spectral component. Using simulations, we demonstrate the feasibility of the approach for up to 5 components and explore the use of adding a 6th unknown component representing autofluorescence. The simulations show that the method can be successfully used in typical confocal imaging experiments (with pixel photon counts between 101 and 103). As a proof of concept, we tested the method in living cells, using 5 common commercial dyes for organelle labeling and we easily and accurately separate them. Finally, we challenged the method by introducing a solvatochromic probe, 6-Dodecanoyl-N,N-dimethyl-2-naphthylamine (LAURDAN), intended to measure membrane dynamics on specific subcellular membrane-bound organelles by taking advantage of the linear combination between the organelle probes and LAURDAN. We succeeded in monitoring the membrane order in the Golgi apparatus, Mitochondria, and plasma membrane in the same in-vivo cell and quantitatively comparing them. The phasor-based multi-harmonic unmixing method can help expand the outreach of HSI and democratize its use by the community for it does not require specialized knowledge.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2021

Insights into in vivo adipocyte differentiation through cell-specific labeling in zebrafish

White adipose tissue hyperplasia has been shown to be crucial for handling excess energy in healthy ways. Though adipogenesis mechanisms have been underscored in vitro, we lack information on how tissue and systemic factors influence the differentiation of new adipocytes. While this could be studied in zebrafish, adipocyte identification currently relies on neutral lipid labeling, thus precluding access to cells in early stages of differentiation. Here we report the generation and analysis of a zebrafish line with the transgene fabp4(-2.7):EGFPcaax. In vivo confocal microscopy of the pancreatic and abdominal visceral depots of transgenic larvae, revealed the presence of labeled mature adipocytes as well as immature cells in earlier stages of differentiation. Through co-labeling for blood vessels, we observed a close interaction of differentiating adipocytes with endothelial cells through cell protrusions. Finally, we implemented hyperspectral imaging and spectral phasor analysis in Nile Red labeled transgenic larvae and revealed the lipid metabolic transition towards neutral lipid accumulation of differentiating adipocytes. Altogether our work presents the characterization of a novel adipocyte-specific label in zebrafish and uncovers previously unknown aspects of in vivo adipogenesis. Summary statementAnalysis of the differentiation of adipocytes in vivo through cell-specific labeling in zebrafish, revealed their early interaction with blood vessels as well as early lipid metabolic changes.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Pervasive epistasis in cell proliferation pathways modulates neurodevelopmental defects of autism-associated 16p11.2 deletion

As opposed to syndromic CNVs caused by single genes, extensive phenotypic heterogeneity in variably-expressive CNVs complicates disease gene discovery and functional evaluation. Here, we propose a complex interaction model for pathogenicity of the autism-associated 16p11.2 deletion, where CNV genes interact with each other in conserved pathways to modulate expression of the phenotype. Using multiple quantitative methods in Drosophila RNAi lines, we identified a range of neurodevelopmental phenotypes for knockdown of individual 16p11.2 homologs in different tissues. We tested 565 pairwise knockdowns in the developing eye, and identified 24 interactions between pairs of 16p11.2 homologs and 46 interactions between 16p11.2 homologs and neurodevelopmental genes that suppressed or enhanced cell proliferation phenotypes compared to one-hit knockdowns. These interactions within cell proliferation pathways were also enriched in a human brain-specific network, providing translational relevance in humans. Our study indicates a role for genetic interactions within CNVs and identifies potential therapeutic targets for neurodevelopmental disorders.

genomics↗