Difference between revisions of "Team:Slovenia/Mechanosensing/Gas vesicles"

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<h2><span id = "intro" class="section"> nbsp; </span>Gas vesicles</h2>
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<h3><span id = "achievements" class="section"> nbsp; </span>Achievements</h3>
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<p style = “background-color: #ff6666;”>Addition of synthetic lipid microbubbles improved the responsiveness of cells to low-power ultrasound.
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Gas vesicle-forming proteins were expressed in mammalian cells where they improved sensitivity of cells to the ultrasound.
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Combination of the ectopic expression of mechanosensing bacterial channel MscS and gas vesicles-forming proteins sensitized cells to mechanical stimulation.</p>
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<h3><span id = "motivation" class="section"> nbsp; </span>Motivation</h3>
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<p>For activation of mechanoreceptors TRPC1 or MscS, a high-power ultrasound wave (900 Vpp) is required. Our aim was to improve responsiveness of cells to respond to the lower power of ultrasound as this would increase the selectivity, avoiding stimulation of endogenous channels and prevent cell damage. We decided to test gas-filled lipid microbubbles, since it has been reported that microbubbles can amplify the ultrasonic signal <x-ref> Ibsen2015 </x-ref>.</p>
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Further explanation ...
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Microbubbles are small gas-filled lipid vesicles which are used as contrast agents in medicine. Their size is in the range of micrometers. They work by resonating in an ultrasound beam, rapidly contracting and expanding in response to the pressure changes of the sound wave<x-ref>Blomley2001</x-ref>.
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Ibsen et al. <x-ref>Ibsen2015</x-ref> have used microbubbles for transduction of the ultrasonic wave in order to make neurons of C.elegans sensitive to ultrasound.
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<h3><span id = "results" class="section"> nbsp; </span>Results</h3>
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<p>Properties of microbubbles, such as for example rigidity, are affected by the composition of the lipid membrane and the gas core. We prepared our lipid microbubbles from a mixture of DSPC:DSPE. Before sonication we added gas perfluorohexane (as described in the Protocols section), which facilitates compression and expansion of the microbubbles upon ultrasound stimulation (<ref>3.3.1.A</ref>). A heterogeneous mixture of microbubbles in the range from 5 to 100 m in size were generated by this procedure (<ref>3.3.1.B </ref>). Microbubbles are most effective in the size range corresponding to the resonance frequency of the ultrasound. However care has to be taken in the applied energy to prevent cavitation, that can sonoporate cell membranes.</p>
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Revision as of 23:21, 15 October 2016

Gas vesicles

Project Achievements Medal requirements Idea

nbsp; Gas vesicles

nbsp; Achievements

Addition of synthetic lipid microbubbles improved the responsiveness of cells to low-power ultrasound. Gas vesicle-forming proteins were expressed in mammalian cells where they improved sensitivity of cells to the ultrasound. Combination of the ectopic expression of mechanosensing bacterial channel MscS and gas vesicles-forming proteins sensitized cells to mechanical stimulation.

nbsp; Motivation

For activation of mechanoreceptors TRPC1 or MscS, a high-power ultrasound wave (900 Vpp) is required. Our aim was to improve responsiveness of cells to respond to the lower power of ultrasound as this would increase the selectivity, avoiding stimulation of endogenous channels and prevent cell damage. We decided to test gas-filled lipid microbubbles, since it has been reported that microbubbles can amplify the ultrasonic signal Ibsen2015 .

Further explanation ...

Microbubbles are small gas-filled lipid vesicles which are used as contrast agents in medicine. Their size is in the range of micrometers. They work by resonating in an ultrasound beam, rapidly contracting and expanding in response to the pressure changes of the sound waveBlomley2001. Ibsen et al. Ibsen2015 have used microbubbles for transduction of the ultrasonic wave in order to make neurons of C.elegans sensitive to ultrasound.

nbsp; Results

Properties of microbubbles, such as for example rigidity, are affected by the composition of the lipid membrane and the gas core. We prepared our lipid microbubbles from a mixture of DSPC:DSPE. Before sonication we added gas perfluorohexane (as described in the Protocols section), which facilitates compression and expansion of the microbubbles upon ultrasound stimulation (3.3.1.A). A heterogeneous mixture of microbubbles in the range from 5 to 100 m in size were generated by this procedure (3.3.1.B ). Microbubbles are most effective in the size range corresponding to the resonance frequency of the ultrasound. However care has to be taken in the applied energy to prevent cavitation, that can sonoporate cell membranes.