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- Allalou, Amin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Approaches for increasing throughput andinformation content of image-based zebrafishscreens
- 2011
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Ingår i: Proceeding of SSBA 2011.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Microscopy in combination with image analysis has emerged as one of the most powerful and informativeways to analyze cell-based high-throughput screening (HTS) samples in experiments designed to uncover novel drugs and drug targets. However, many diseases and biological pathways can be better studied in whole animals, particularly diseases and pathways that involve organ systems and multicellular interactions, such as organ development, neuronal degeneration and regeneration, cancer metastasis, infectious disease progression and pathogenesis. The zebrafish is a wide-spread and popular vertebrate model of human organfunction and development, and it is unique in the sense that large-scale in vivo genetic and chemical studies are feasible due in part to its small size, optical transparency,and aquatic habitat. To improve the throughput and complexity of zebrafish screens, a high-throughput platform for cellular-resolution in vivo chemical and genetic screens on zebrafish larvae has been developed at Yanik lab at Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, USA. The system loads live zebrafish from reservoirs or multiwell plates, positions and rotates them for high-speed confocal imaging of organs,and dispenses the animals without damage. We present two improvements to the described system, including automation of positioning of the animals and a novel approach for brightfield microscopy tomographic imaging of living animals.
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2. |
- Leyhr, Jake, et al.
(författare)
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A novel cis-regulatory element drives early expression of Nkx3.2 in the gnathostome primary jaw joint
- 2022
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The acquisition of movable jaws was a major event during vertebrate evolution. The role of NK3 homeobox 2 (Nkx3.2) transcription factor in patterning the primary jaw joint of gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) is well known, however knowledge about its regulatory mechanism is lacking. In this study, we report a proximal enhancer element of Nkx3.2 that is deeply conserved in most gnathostomes but undetectable in the jawless hagfish and lamprey. This enhancer is active in the developing jaw joint region of the zebrafish Danio rerio, and was thus designated as jaw joint regulatory sequence 1 (JRS1). We further show that JRS1 enhancer sequences from a range of gnathostome species, including a chondrichthyan and mammals, have the same activity in the jaw joint as the native zebrafish enhancer, indicating a high degree of functional conservation despite the divergence of cartilaginous and bony fish lineages or the transition of the primary jaw joint into the middle ear of mammals. Finally, we show that deletion of JRS1 from the zebrafish genome using CRISPR/Cas9 results in a significant reduction of early gene expression of nkx3.2 and leads to a transient jaw joint deformation and partial fusion. Emergence of this Nkx3.2 enhancer in early gnathostomes may have contributed to the origin and shaping of the articulating surfaces of vertebrate jaws.
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4. |
- Sarve, Hamid, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Cuanto: A Tool for Quantification of Bone Tissue in the Proximityof Implants
- 2011
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Ingår i: Proceedings of SSBA 2011.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Abstract—Quantitative analysis of histological images ofbone-implant samples is a important step in the evaluationof bone-implant integration. However, the quantificationis a tedious task when carried out manually in the lightmicroscope. To automatize the quantification, Cuanto, asoftware for measurements of bone area and estimation ofbone-implant contact length in histological images of boneimplantsamples has been developed. The quantificationresult of the software is compared to manual measurements;area measurements correspond well with the manualquantification whereas significant differences in the lengthestimation is observed. The possibility of zooming in downto cell-level when quantifying manually is believed to renderthe discrepancy.
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6. |
- Waldmann, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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The Broad Role of Nkx3.2 in the Development of the Zebrafish Axial Skeleton
- 2024
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The transcription factor Nkx3.2 (Bapx1) is an important chondrocyte maturation inhibitor. Previous Nkx3.2 knock-down and overexpression studies in non-mammalian gnathostomes have focused on its role in primary jaw joint development, while little is known about the function of this gene in broader skeletal development. We generated CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of nkx3.2 in zebrafish and applied a range of techniques to characterize skeletal phenotypes at developmental stages from larva to adult, revealing fusions in bones of the occiput, the loss or deformation of bony elements derived from basiventral cartilages of the vertebrae, and an increased length of the proximal radials of the dorsal and anal fins. These phenotypes are reminiscent of Nkx3.2 knockout phenotypes in mammals, suggesting that the function of this gene in axial skeletal development is ancestral to osteichthyans. Our results highlight the broad role of nkx3.2 in zebrafish skeletal development and its context-specific functions in different skeletal elements.
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7. |
- Waldmann, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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The broad role of Nkx3.2 in the development of the zebrafish axial skeleton
- 2021
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 16:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The transcription factor Nkx3.2 (Bapx1) is an important chondrocyte maturation inhibitor. Previous Nkx3.2 knockdown and overexpression studies in non-mammalian gnathostomes have focused on its role in primary jaw joint development, while the function of this gene in broader skeletal development is not fully described. We generated a mutant allele of nkx3.2 in zebrafish with CRISPR/Cas9 and applied a range of techniques to characterize skeletal phenotypes at developmental stages from larva to adult, revealing loss of the jaw joint, fusions in bones of the occiput, morphological changes in the Weberian apparatus, and the loss or deformation of bony elements derived from basiventral cartilages of the vertebrae. Axial phenotypes are reminiscent of Nkx3.2 knockout in mammals, suggesting that the function of this gene in axial skeletal development is ancestral to osteichthyans. Our results highlight the broad role of nkx3.2 in zebrafish skeletal development and its context-specific functions in different skeletal elements.
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8. |
- Waldmann, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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The Role of Gdf5 in the Development of the Zebrafish Fin Endoskeleton
- 2022
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Ingår i: Developmental Dynamics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1058-8388 .- 1097-0177. ; 251:9, s. 1535-1549
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The development of the vertebrate skeleton requires a complex interaction of multiple factors to facilitate correct shaping and positioning of bones and joints. Growth and differentiation factor 5 (Gdf5), a member of the transforming growth factor-beta family (TGF-beta) is involved in patterning appendicular skeletal elements including joints. Expression of gdf5 in zebrafish has been detected within the first pharyngeal arch jaw joint, fin mesenchyme condensations and segmentation zones in median fins, however little is known about the functional role of Gdf5 outside of Amniota. We generated CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of gdf5 in zebrafish and analysed the resulting phenotype at different developmental stages. Homozygous gdf5 mutant zebrafish display truncated median fin endoskeletal elements and loss of posterior radials in the pectoral fins. These findings are consistent with phenotypes observed in human and mouse appendicular skeleton in response to Gdf5 knockout, suggesting a broadly conserved role for Gdf5 in Osteichthyes.
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9. |
- Zhang, Hanqing, et al.
(författare)
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zOPT: an open source optical projection tomography system and methods for rapid 3D zebrafish imaging
- 2020
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Ingår i: Biomedical Optics Express. - : The Optical Society. - 2156-7085. ; 11:8, s. 4290-4305
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Optical projection tomography (OPT) is a 3D imaging alternative to conventional microscopy which allows imaging of millimeter-sized object with isotropic micrometer resolution. The zebrafish is an established model organism and an important tool used in genetic and chemical screening. The size and optical transparency of the embryo and larva makes them well suited for imaging using OPT. Here, we present an open-source implementation of an OPT platform, built around a customized sample stage, 3D-printed parts and open source algorithms optimized for the system. We developed a versatile automated workflow including a two-step image processing approach for correcting the center of rotation and generating accurate 3D reconstructions. Our results demonstrate high-quality 3D reconstruction using synthetic data as well as real data of live and fixed zebrafish. The presented 3D-printable OPT platform represents a fully open design, low-cost and rapid loading and unloading of samples. Our system offers the opportunity for researchers with different backgrounds to setup and run OPT for large scale experiments, particularly in studies using zebrafish larvae as their key model organism.
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10. |
- Allalou, Amin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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BlobFinder, a tool for fluorescence microscopy image cytometry
- 2009
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Ingår i: Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-2607 .- 1872-7565. ; 94:1, s. 58-65
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Images can be acquired at high rates with modern fluorescence microscopy hardware, giving rise to a demand for high-speed analysis of image data. Digital image cytometry, i.e., automated measurements and extraction of quantitative data from images of cells, provides valuable information for many types of biomedical analysis. There exists a number of different image analysis software packages that can be programmed to perform a wide array of useful measurements. However, the multi-application capability often compromises the simplicity of the tool. Also, the gain in speed of analysis is often compromised by time spent learning complicated software. We provide a free software called BlobFinder that is intended for a limited type of application, making it easy to use, easy to learn and optimized for its particular task. BlobFinder can perform batch processing of image data and quantify as well as localize cells and point like source signals in fluorescence microscopy images, e.g., from FISH, in situ PLA and padlock probing, in a fast and easy way.
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