J Neurogastroenterol Motil.  2015 Jul;21(3):337-351. 10.5056/jnm15096.

Optical Tools to Investigate Cellular Activity in the Intestinal Wall

• Boesmans W
• Hao MM
• Berghe PV

• KMID: 2433473
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5056/jnm15096

Abstract

Live imaging has become an essential tool to investigate the coordinated activity and output of cellular networks. Within the last decade, 2 Nobel prizes have been awarded to recognize innovations in the field of imaging: one for the discovery, use, and optimization of the green fluorescent protein (2008) and the second for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy (2014). New advances in both optogenetics and microscopy now enable researchers to record and manipulate activity from specific populations of cells with better contrast and resolution, at higher speeds, and deeper into live tissues. In this review, we will discuss some of the recent developments in microscope technology and in the synthesis of fluorescent probes, both synthetic and genetically encoded. We focus on how live imaging of cellular physiology has progressed our understanding of the control of gastrointestinal motility, and we discuss the hurdles to overcome in order to apply the novel tools in the field of neurogastroenterology and motility.

Keyword

Calcium imaging; Enteric nervous system; Fluorescence; Gastrointestinal motility; Microscopy

MeSH Terms

Awards and Prizes
Enteric Nervous System
Fluorescence
Fluorescent Dyes
Gastrointestinal Motility
Microscopy
Microscopy, Fluorescence
Optogenetics
Physiology
Fluorescent Dyes