Probing and manipulating embryogenesis via nanoscale thermometry and temperature control

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Cell Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Coordinated cell-division timing is crucial for development but challenging to study at the cellular level.
• Temperature influences cell-cycle duration by altering biochemical reaction rates.
• Existing methods lack biocompatible sensors and precise local temperature control for cellular experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a method for probing and controlling cell-division timing in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos.
• To investigate the role of local temperature perturbations on cell-cycle dynamics.
• To elucidate whether cell-cycle asynchrony is cell-autonomous or mediated by cell-to-cell communication.

Main Methods:

• Utilized local infrared laser illumination to create precise temperature gradients across C. elegans embryos.
• Employed in vivo nanoscale thermometry with quantum defects in nanodiamonds for accurate temperature measurement.
• Combined laser heating and thermometry to selectively control and accelerate cell divisions.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated controlled acceleration of cell divisions in C. elegans embryos.
• Achieved an inversion of cell division order at the two-cell stage by manipulating local temperature.
• Data indicate that early embryonic cell-cycle timing is regulated independently by individual cells.

Conclusions:

• The developed method allows for precise control of cellular development and cell-division timing.
• Early C. elegans embryonic development exhibits cell-autonomous cell-cycle timing, independent of intercellular communication.
• This approach offers insights into cell-division regulation under local environmental perturbations.