Abstract
Elucidating the function of specific cell types in a highly complex multicellular system such as the heart often requires detailed anatomic reconstruction. We recently described a distinctive class of phenylethanolamine n-methyltransferase (Pnmt+) cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PdCMs), a new cardiomyocyte population with a potential endocrine role. In this dataset, a 3D reconstruction was carried out to visualise the distribution of PdCMs throughout the murine heart. Rigid registration (stiff rotation and translation) was applied to properly align the fused heart slice images based on landmarks using TrakEM2, an open source plug-in in Fiji. The registered slices were then analysed and reconstructed using MATLAB (MATLAB®. Version 8.3.0.532). The final reconstructed 3D volume was 561×866×48 pixels (corresponding to spatial resolutions of 5.8, 8.9 and 2.5 mm in the x-, y- and z-direction respectively), and visualised in Paraview. The reconstruction allows for detailed analyses of morphology, projections and cellular features of different cell types, enabling further geometrical and topological analyses. Image data can be accessed and viewed through Figshare.
Highlights
Background & SummaryA major challenge faced in biomedical research is to define the function of specific cell types in a highly complex multicellular system
In our recent study[1], we identified Pnmt+ cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PdCMs) in the murine heart by introducing channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) into murine cells expressing the Phenylethanolamine n-methyltransferase (Pnmt) gene, which encodes the enzyme responsible for conversion of noradrenaline to adrenaline
This murine model (Pnmt-Cre/ChR2 mice) enabled us to identify a distinctive class of Pnmt-expressing neuroendocrine cells and their descendants (i.e. Pnmt+ cell-derived cells) within the heart
Summary
Pixels (corresponding to spatial resolutions of 5.8, 8.9 and 2.5 mm in the x-, y- and z-direction respectively), and visualised in Paraview. The reconstruction allows for detailed analyses of morphology, projections and cellular features of different cell types, enabling further geometrical and topological analyses. Image data can be accessed and viewed through Figshare
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