RESUMEN
Bioluminescence from cells is so dim that bioluminescence microscopy is performed using an ultra low-light imaging camera. Although the image sensor of such cameras has been greatly improved over time, such improvements have not been made commercially available for microscopes until now. Here, we customized the optical system of a microscope for bioluminescence imaging. As a result, bioluminescence images of cells could be captured with a conventional objective lens and colour imaging camera. As bioluminescence microscopy requires no excitation light, it lacks the photo-toxicity associated with fluorescence imaging and permits the long-term, nonlethal observation of living cells. Thus, bioluminescence microscopy would be a powerful tool in cellular biology that complements fluorescence microscopy.
Asunto(s)
Microscopía Fluorescente/instrumentación , Microscopía Fluorescente/métodos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Luciferina de Luciérnaga , Colorantes Fluorescentes , Humanos , Luciferasas de Luciérnaga , Mediciones LuminiscentesRESUMEN
In vitro proliferation and functional activation of V alpha 24NKT cells following stimulation with alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer)-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) have been observed. Because little is known about the molecular events on DCs following interaction with alpha-GalCer, we performed gene expression profiling of 2400 genes in monocytes and monocyte-derived immature DCs pulsed with alpha-GalCer (alpha-GalCer-imDCs). Overall, the expression levels of 48 genes were up-regulated and 28 were down-regulated in alpha-GalCer-imDCs. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis on monocytes, imDCs, alpha-GalCer-imDCs, and mature DCs confirmed the up- and down-regulation of the mRNA expression levels of 28 selected genes. Notably, we identified the specific up-regulation of mRNA expression levels of ribonuclease A and collapsin response mediator protein upon the stimulation of imDC with alpha-GalCer, suggesting a novel immunomodulating effect of alpha-GalCer on imDCs. In this study, we used imDCs prepared by culturing of monocytes with GM-CSF and IL-4 for 5 days and mDCs prepared by further culturing of imDCs with TNF alpha for two extra days.
Asunto(s)
Células Dendríticas/metabolismo , Galactosilceramidas/metabolismo , Galactosilceramidas/fisiología , Expresión Génica , Monocitos/metabolismo , Diferenciación Celular , División Celular , Células Cultivadas , ADN Complementario/metabolismo , Desoxirribonucleasa I/metabolismo , Regulación hacia Abajo , Glicoproteínas/metabolismo , Factor Estimulante de Colonias de Granulocitos y Macrófagos/metabolismo , Humanos , Interleucina-4/metabolismo , Análisis de Secuencia por Matrices de Oligonucleótidos , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa Inversa , Ribonucleasa Pancreática/metabolismo , Semaforina-3A , Regulación hacia ArribaRESUMEN
Using a cDNA glass microarray, the expression of 1081 genes in immature and mature dendritic cells (DCs) of two different individuals has been studied. The upregulation of mRNA transcripts of genes encoding the transcription factor ZFM1, Mos proto-oncogene serine/threonine-protein kinase, B-cell-specific transcription factor, preB-cell growth stimulating factor, ets translocation variant 6, and epidermal growth-factor-like CRIPTO was for the first time detected in DCs. Using semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis the upregulation of the transforming growth factor-alpha, integrin alpha 6 and ZFM 1 transcription factor in mature DCs was confirmed in samples from four different individuals. On the other hand, the downregulation of renin-binding protein transcript was detected in mature DCs using a cDNA microarray. For the first time, the expression of renin-angiotensin system genes was evaluated during maturation of DCs in samples from four donors by semiquantitative RT-PCR. A possible role of the renin-angiotensin system in DCs is discussed.