Computer-assisted reconstruction and motion analysis of the three-dimensional cell.

David R Soll,Edward Voss,Deborah Wessels,Paul J Heid

doi:10.1100/tsw.2003.70

Abstract

Even though several microscopic techniques provide three-dimensional (3D) information on fixed and living cells, the perception persists that cells are two-dimensional (2D). Cells are, in fact, 3D and their behavior, including the extension of pseudopods, includes an important 3D component. Although treating the cell as a 2D entity has proven effective in understanding how cells locomote, and in identifying defects in a variety of mutant and abnormal cells, there are cases in which 3D reconstruction and analysis are essential. Here, we describe advanced computer-assisted 3D reconstruction and motion analysis programs for both individual live, crawling cells and developing embryos. These systems (3D-DIAS, 3D-DIASemb) can be used to reconstruct and motion analyze at short time intervals the nucleus and pseudopodia as well as the entire surface of a single migrating cell, or every cell and nucleus in a developing embryo. Because all images are converted to mathematical representations, a variety of motility and dynamic morphology parameters can be computed that have proven quite valuable in the identification of mutant behaviors. We also describe examples of mutant behaviors in Dictyostelium that were revealed through 3D analysis.

Highlights

The development of the microscope by van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century might be considered the first major technological advance in the field of cell biology
When the first primitive microscopes were employed in the 19th century to observe different cell types, it became clear that cells exhibited different shapes, and contained complex internal architecture
Because the outline in each optical section is converted to a β-spline model, the 3D reconstruction represents a 3D mathematical representation, and can, be used to compute more than 100 motility and dynamic morphology parameters based in the former case on the 3D track of the cell centroid and in the latter case on 3D cell contour changes[10,11]

Summary

Introduction

The development of the microscope by van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century might be considered the first major technological advance in the field of cell biology. When computer-assisted methods were developed to obtain high resolution, quantitative descriptions of the dynamic morphology, locomotion, and chemotaxis of a cell, the behavior of each tested mutant proved to be defective in a unique fashion[9].

Results

Conclusion