Long-term live fluorescent imaging system for monitoring site-specific functions in epithelia

用于监测上皮细胞特定位点功能的长期活体荧光成像系统

• 批准号: 458801-2014
• 负责人: Kapus, Andras
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=542047
• 关键词: Long; term; live; fluorescent; imaging

We study the biology of epithelial cells. These cells make up tissues that line internal organs. They perform many vital functions, e.g. they mediate controlled exchange of fluid and solutes between the organs and their environment. They also provide an essential protective layer to the organs. Epithelial tissues are prone to injury due to their exposed location, but injury induces powerful mechanisms to restore tissue integrity. We do not understand the molecular events that make this repair possible. Importantly, the regulation of this repair process can be faulty, resulting in disease with eventually fatal organ scarring and serious decrease in organ function. We wish to understand how epithelial cells respond to injury, and what molecular events will determine whether normal or altered repair will ensue. Over the past years we found that cells adjacent to the site of injury (an epithelial "wound") respond differently to various chemical signals than the surrounding, intact part of the tissue. We termed this effect locus-specific susceptibility. To understand the mechanism of this crucial phenomenon, we are now requesting a specialized microscope system. This is essential to monitor the critical cellular and molecular events during injury and repair. This would allow us to perform time-lapse imaging (i.e. to acquire images in regular intervals of cells over an extended period of time) to closely follow their behavior. Our research will improve our understanding of normal and impaired epithelial cell functions, which are crucial for normal function of many organs including the kidney, the liver, the lung and the gut.

我们研究上皮细胞的生物学。这些细胞构成排列在内脏器官上的组织。它们执行许多重要功能，例如，它们在器官和环境之间调节受控的液体和溶质交换。它们还为器官提供了一层必不可少的保护层。上皮组织因暴露位置容易受到损伤，但损伤诱导了强大的机制来恢复组织的完整性。我们不了解使这种修复成为可能的分子事件。重要的是，这种修复过程的调节可能是错误的，导致疾病最终导致致命的器官疤痕和器官功能的严重下降。我们希望了解上皮细胞对损伤的反应，以及哪些分子事件将决定随后发生的是正常修复还是改变修复。在过去的几年里，我们发现，与周围完整的组织部分相比，损伤部位(上皮性“伤口”)附近的细胞对各种化学信号的反应不同。我们将这种效应称为基因位点特异性易感性。为了了解这一关键现象的机制，我们现在要求使用一种专门的显微镜系统。这对于监测损伤和修复过程中的关键细胞和分子事件至关重要。这将使我们能够进行延时成像(即在延长的一段时间内以规则的间隔获取细胞的图像)，以密切跟踪它们的行为。我们的研究将提高我们对正常和受损的上皮细胞功能的理解，这些功能对包括肾、肝、肺和肠道在内的许多器官的正常功能至关重要。