The analysis of microscopy imaging on liquid crystalline components of the cell nucleus

Shiyong Sun, Mingxue Liu, Qunwei Dai, Faqin Dong, Lizhu Liu, Tingting Huo

Key Laboratory of Waste Solid Treatment and Resource Recycle of Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China.

DOI: 10.4236/jbise.2012.56040                

Abstract

Dinoflagellates nuclei allow for liquid crystalline characterization without core histones. In this study, nuclei were isolated from the athecate Karenia dinoflagellate species with minimum destruction to their native structure during preparation procedures. The liquid crystalline nuclei were studied by microscopy techniques of Metripol birefringence microscopy, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and synchrotron radiation-based hard X-ray Microscopy with computed tomography, respectively. The 3D reconstruction techniques of hard X-ray tomography and CLSM were also discussed. The important biophysical parameters of the interspaces between chromosomes, nuclear surface areas and chromosome-occupied volumes were calculated from a 3D rendering of a reconstructed nucleus. The results of calculated average chromosomal DNA concentration of dinoflagellate was consistent with the concentration which can spontaneously assemble into the cholesteric liquid crystal phase in vitro.

Keywords

Liquid Crystal; Cellular Nucleus; Microscopy; 3D Reconstruction; Genomic Condensation

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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