In vivo monitoring specialized hepatocyte-like cells in Drosophila by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPE-F) microscopy
Journal
Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
Journal Volume
8226
Date Issued
2012
Abstract
A group of specialized cells in Drosophila called oenocyte, sharing certain similar properties of hepatocytes in mammals, is known to play an important role in lipid metabolism. During starvation, the lipids are released from the fat body, and oenocytes then would accumulate lipid droplets and probably further oxidize them into shorter fatty acids chain as an energy source. Any genetic defect in lipid metabolism may result in different responses of oenocytes to starvation. To investigate this process in vivo, we used coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPE-F) microscopy to monitor oenocytes in living Drosophila larvae during starvation. We identified oenocytes by their intrinsic fluorescence and visualized lipid droplets by CARS signals at ~2845 cm-1 without any labeling. Compared with the wild-type, mutants with defects in lipid metabolism show different accumulation of lipid droplets in oenocytes. While some mutant accumulates much less lipid droplets in oenocytes during starvation, some has many lipid droplets in oenocytes even though they were fed with plenty of foods. Unlike traditional tissue staining, in vivo imaging allows us to specifically monitor the changes in individual, and provides us more information on the dynamic process of lipid metabolism in Drosophila.
SDGs
Type
conference paper