When I label with Qtracker cell labeling reagents, I get a punctate label pattern. How do I make it more uniform?
Qtracker cell labeling reagents are taken up by the cell through endocytosis and sequestered in endosomes. This gives the label a punctate or vesicular appearance. This is normal. There is nothing that can be done to make it appear uniform throughout the cytoplasm.
How long after injection should I start imaging my mouse?
The imaging time course varies with the nature of the injected agent. Vascular tracers are visible in the blood vessels immediately after injection and may be imaged for several hours. Conjugated whole IgG antibodies reach their targets within a few hours of injection and may be imaged for several days.
What happens to unconjugated dye in the mouse after small animal in vivo imaging?
The dye will be eliminated via the bladder. The bladder signal is detectable within ~3 minutes of IV injection of the dye and clearance with ~30 minutes.
What amount of Qtracker non-targeted reagent should I inject to image vasculature?
A recommended starting dosage is 25-50 µL of Qtracker reagent diluted to the desired injection volume with PBS or normal saline. Qtracker reagent should be diluted immediately prior to injection. DO NOT STORE DILUTED. You will need to determine the optimal dosage for your experimental models.
I want to track my cells with a nucleic acid stain, like DAPI or Hoechst dye. Do you recommend this?
This is not recommended. When these stains bind to DNA and RNA, they may affect the normal function of the nucleic acids, disrupting transcription, as well as replication. Other reagents, such as CellTracker dyes or Qtracker reagents are more optimized for tracking without disrupting normal activity. If a nuclear label is still desired, though, and the cells are mammalian and non-hematopoietic, CellLight nuclear reagents can transiently transfect cells to express GFP or RFP on a nuclear-expressing protein for up to several days without affecting function.
Authors:Keren K, Yam PT, Kinkhabwala A, Mogilner A, Theriot JA,
Journal:Nat Cell Biol
PubMed ID:19767741
'Cytosolic fluid dynamics have been implicated in cell motility because of the hydrodynamic forces they induce and because of their influence on transport of components of the actin machinery to the leading edge. To investigate the existence and the direction of fluid flow in rapidly moving cells, we introduced inert ... More
Circulating Bmp10 acts through endothelial Alk1 to mediate flow-dependent arterial quiescence.
Authors:Laux DW, Young S, Donovan JP, Mansfield CJ, Upton PD, Roman BL,
Journal:
PubMed ID:23863480
'Blood flow plays crucial roles in vascular development, remodeling and homeostasis, but the molecular pathways required for transducing flow signals are not well understood. In zebrafish embryos, arterial expression of activin receptor-like kinase 1 (alk1), which encodes a TGFß family type I receptor, is dependent on blood flow, and loss ... More
In vivo diffusion analysis with quantum dots and dextrans predicts the width of brain extracellular space.
Authors:Thorne RG, Nicholson C
Journal:Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID:16567637
'Diffusion within the extracellular space (ECS) of the brain is necessary for chemical signaling and for neurons and glia to access nutrients and therapeutics; however, the width of the ECS in living tissue remains unknown. We used integrative optical imaging to show that dextrans and water-soluble quantum dots with Stokes-Einstein ... More
Variables influencing interactions of untargeted quantum dot nanoparticles with skin cells and identification of biochemical modulators.
Authors:Ryman-Rasmussen JP, Riviere JE, Monteiro-Riviere NA
Journal:Nano Lett
PubMed ID:17408303
Skin cells (NHEK) take up untargeted quantum dots (QD) with surface polyethylene glycol (PEG), amines, and carboxylic acids, but the mechanisms are unknown. Time courses of QD-NHEK interactions were determined and effects of QD surface coating, temperature, culture medium supplements and inhibitors of the cell cycle and endocytosis identified. The ... More
Intravital FLIM-FRET imaging reveals dasatinib-induced spatial control of src in pancreatic cancer.
Authors:Nobis M, McGhee EJ, Morton JP, Schwarz JP, Karim SA, Quinn J, Edward M, Campbell AD, McGarry LC, Evans TR, Brunton VG, Frame MC, Carragher NO, Wang Y, Sansom OJ, Timpson P, Anderson KI,
Journal:
PubMed ID:23749641
Cancer invasion and metastasis occur in a complex three-dimensional (3D) environment, with reciprocal feedback from the surrounding host tissue and vasculature-governing behavior. In this study, we used a novel intravital method that revealed spatiotemporal regulation of Src activity in response to the anti-invasive Src inhibitor dasatinib. A fluorescence lifetime imaging ... More