Technical Note

An optical platform for cell tracking in adult zebrafish†

  1. Li Zhang1,2,3,
  2. Clemens Alt1,
  3. Pulin Li4,
  4. Richard M. White4,
  5. Leonard I. Zon4,
  6. Xunbin Wei3,5,
  7. Charles P. Lin1,*

Article first published online: 7 DEC 2011

DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.21167

Issue

Cytometry Part A

Cytometry Part A

Volume 81A, Issue 2, pages 176–182, February 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Zhang, L., Alt, C., Li, P., White, R. M., Zon, L. I., Wei, X. and Lin, C. P. (2012), An optical platform for cell tracking in adult zebrafish. Cytometry Part A, 81A: 176–182. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.21167

Author Information

  1. 1

    Advanced microscopy program, Center for Systems Biology and Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114

  2. 2

    School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China

  3. 3

    Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

  4. 4

    Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

  5. 5

    Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China

*Advanced Microscopy Program, Wellman Center for Photomedicine and Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, BAR 804, Harvard Medical School, 50 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114. or Xunbin Wei, Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai, China 200240

  1. †

    This article was originally intended for publication in the In Vivo Flow Cytometry special issue (volume 79A, issue 10, 2011)

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 23 JAN 2012
  2. Article first published online: 7 DEC 2011
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 16 OCT 2011
  4. Manuscript Revised: 1 SEP 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 18 MAR 2011

Funded by

  • China Scholarship Council (CSC). Grant Number: 2008610061
  • NIH. Grant Number: HL97794

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Keywords:

  • In vivo flow cytometry (IVFC);
  • in vivo confocal microscopy;
  • circulating cells;
  • adult zebrafish

Abstract

Adult zebrafish are being increasingly used as a model in cancer and stem cell research. Here we describe an integrated optical system that combines a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) and an in vivo flow cytometer (IVFC) for simultaneous visualization and cell quantification. The system is set up specifically for non-invasive tracking of both stationary and circulating cells in adult zebrafish (casper) that have been engineered to be optically transparent. Confocal imaging in this instrument serves the dual purpose of visualizing fish tissue microstructure and an imaging-based guide to locate a suitable vessel for quantitative analysis of circulating cells by IVFC. We demonstrate initial testing of this novel instrument by imaging the transparent adult zebrafish casper vasculature and tracking circulating cells in CD41-GFP/Gata1-DsRed transgenic fish whose thrombocytes/erythrocytes express the green and red fluorescent proteins. In vivo measurements allow cells to be tracked under physiological conditions in the same fish over time, without drawing blood samples or sacrificing animals. We also discuss the potential applications of this instrument in biomedical research. © 2011 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry

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