Sub-microscopic analysis of t-tubule geometry in living cardiac ventricular myocytes using a shape-based analysis method.

ABSTRACT: Transverse-axial tubules (TTs) are key structures involved in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling and can become deranged in disease. Although optical measurement of TTs is frequently employed to assess TT abundance and regularity, TT dimensions are generally below the diffraction limit of optical microscopy so determination of tubule size is problematic. TT diameter was measured by labeling both local surface membrane area and volume with fluorescent probes (FM4-64 and calcein, respectively), correcting image asymmetry by image processing and using the relationship between surface area and volume for a geometric primitive. This method shows that TTs have a mean (±SEM) diameter of 356±18nm in rabbit and 169±15nm in mouse (p<0.001). Rabbit TT diameters were more variable than those of m

SUBMITTER: Kong CHT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5529290 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature