以螢光奈米鑽石探討斑馬魚胚胎的細胞質動態

Abstract

近來在生物顯影應用方面，螢光奈米鑽石已發展成一項新穎的工具。由於此材料具有許多獨特性質，包括高生物相容性、易於將生物分子修飾在表面的特性以及良好的光穩定性，使得鑽石作為活體外和活體內的光學奈米探針十分具有前景。此篇論文以斑馬魚為生物模型，利用此新穎奈米材料的光穩定且無毒性的特性，作為在生物活體內追蹤工具。我們以顯微注射裝置將螢光奈米鑽石注入單細胞時期斑馬魚胚胎的卵黃細胞，進行長時間的追蹤及觀察細胞質流的運動過程，接著利用單一粒子追蹤技術來探查粒子的運動。我們在卵黃細胞內細胞質錯綜複雜的運動中，觀測到單一方向性且時行時止的運輸方式。並且在早期的斑馬魚胚胎發展階段中(發育1–2個小時的受精卵)，測定40個粒子於胚胎中隨著軸向的細胞質流移動的速率，其範圍在0.19 – 0.40 μm/s之間。

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have recently developed into an exciting new tool for bioimaging applications. The material possesses several unique features including high biocompatibility, easy bioconjugation, and perfect photostability, making it a promising optical nanoprobe both in vitro and in vivo. This work explores the potential application of the novel nanomaterial as a photostable, nontoxic tracer in vivo using zebrafish as a model organism. We introduced FNDs into the yolk cell of a zebrafish embryo by microinjection at the 1-cell stage. Movements of the injected particles were investigated by using single particle tracking techniques. We observed unidirectional and stop-and-go traffic as part of the intricate cytoplasmic movements in the yolk cell. We determined a velocity in the range of 0.19 – 0.40 μm/s for 40 particles moving along with the axial streaming in the early developmental stage (1 – 2 hpf) of the zebrafish embryos.