Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 3, 2026
12:54
Simultaneous Brightfield, Fluorescence, and Optical Coherence Tomographic Imaging of Contracting Cardiac Trabeculae Ex Vivo
Published on: October 2, 2021
3.7K
Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy of Muscle Cell Morphology and Dynamics
1Institute of Medical Biotechnology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. Andreas.Buttgereit@t-online.de.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|May 5, 2017
Summary
Label-free Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy visualizes muscle cell structures without dyes or fluorescent proteins. This method enables quantitative analysis of skeletal muscle fiber morphology and dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Microscopy
Background:
- Microscopy with contrast dyes visualizes cells and tissues.
- Confocal and laser microscopy enable subcellular investigations using fluorescent dyes.
- Imaging living cells requires fluorescent protein labeling, like Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP).
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a label-free microscopy method for visualizing muscle cell structure.
- To enable quantitative analysis of skeletal muscle fiber morphology and dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy for label-free imaging.
- Applying analytical methods for quantitative measurements.
- Investigating skeletal and heart muscle tissue.
Main Results:
- Successful visualization of cell structure in skeletal and heart muscle using SHG microscopy.
- Development of analytical methods for quantitative measurements of muscle fibers.
- Demonstration of SHG microscopy's utility for studying muscle morphology and dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy offers a label-free alternative for visualizing muscle cell structures.
- This technique facilitates quantitative analysis of muscle fiber morphology and dynamics.
- SHG microscopy provides a valuable tool for studying muscle tissue without exogenous labeling.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Studying the Cytoskeleton
10.3K
The cytoskeletal architecture can be studied using different microscopic and biochemical techniques. Electron microscopy was instrumental in discovering the cytoskeletal architecture around the 1960s, which allowed obtaining structural information at a high-resolution level. However, the sample preparation procedure often limits this ability in biological samples. Several protocols have been developed over the years to optimize sample preparation. In one of the protocols known as rotary...
10.3K
01:13Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles
25.2K
Skeletal muscle cells, also called muscle fibers, are distinctly elongated, multi-nucleated, slender biological units. They are packed with specialized structures designed to facilitate their primary function, which is contraction.
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
25.2K
01:20Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles
16.3K
Excitation-contraction coupling is a series of events that occur between generating an action potential and initiating a muscle contraction. It occurs at the triad, a structure found in skeletal muscle fibers that comprise a T-tubule and terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum on each side. These triads are visible in longitudinally sectioned muscle fibers. They are typically located at the A-I junction — the junction between the A and I bands of the sarcomere.
When an action...
When an action...
16.3K