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Autophagy is the mechanism of the cell that disassembles unnecessary proteins and organelles to recycle or metabolize them. When placed in certain physiological conditions, the cells produce phagophore to cover unnecessary components and form autophagosome. The autophagosome fuses with lysosome (production of autolysosome), and acid hydrolase from lysosome degrades the unnecessary components. Autophagy has been confirmed to be related to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease, and as possessing a physiological function in aging.
The following are the results of experiments using the CQ1 for imaging and the high content analysis software CellPathfinder for analysis. In this experiment, DALGreen-Autophagy Detection (Donjindo Molecular Technologies, Inc.)*1 was used; it penetrates cell membranes and is drawn into autophagosome along with unnecessary components, fusing with lysosome and then increasing fluorescence in the acid environment in autolysosome.
Fig. 1: Autophagy detection Fluorescence images of the control (A), autophagy induction (B) and autophagy inhibition (C) 6 hours after changing the medium.
(D) (E) (F): CE Bright Field images of (A), (B) and (C) respectively (Scale bar: 100 µm)
(G): Images (from left) immediately after changing the medium, 3 hours later and 6 hours later (Scale bar: 50 µm).
Time lapse movie : Play
Fig. 2: Autophagy analysis result Merged images of the control (A), autophagy induction (B) and autophagy inhibition (C) 6 hours after changing the medium.
(D) (E) (F): Analyzed images of (A), (B) and (C) respectively (Blue points: centers of recognized cells; Red: recognized regions of autophagy granules) .
(G) (H): Change of count and total area of granules per cell over time. Error bars indicate SE (n=3). (Blue: control, Red: autophagy induction, Green: autophagy inhibition).
The count and total area of granules increased over time only in the autophagy induction.
It was confirmed that live cell autophagy can be easily observed using the CQ1 and DALGreen-Autophagy Detection. Also, autophagy was induced in the media not containing amino acid and inhibited by adding Bafilomycin. The CQ1 allows for the observation of changes with time while maintaining the culture environment through the use of its stage heater for the control of temperature and humidity, as well as the concentrations of CO2 and O2 through the combined use of a gas mixer.
*1 Reference: Iwashita et al., Small fluorescent molecules for monitoring autophagic flux, FEBS Lett,2018,592(4),559.
*2 CE Bright Field images
Contrast-enhanced Bright Field (CE Bright Field) images refer to processed images emphasizing the cell thick areas (Fluor type) and contours and details (Phase type), which are suitable for cell recognition without staining.
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The CQ1 provides the highest quality confocal images and extended live cell imaging in a space-saving benchtop design.
CellPathfinder is designed for our HCA systems, CQ1 and the CellVoyager series. From beginners to experts, the analysis software lets you quantify subtle physiological changes and even label-free samples with various graph options.
CellVoyager CV8000 is the most advanced high-content screening system. The improved built-in incubator lets you analyze extended live cell responses. With its expandability, four cameras, five lasers and an optional built-in pipettor, the system permits increasingly complex assay development and high-content screening.
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