ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCs

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be established as permanent cell lines, and their potential to differentiate into adult tissues has led to widespread use for studying the mechanisms and dynamics of stem cell differentiation and exploring strategies for tissue repair. Imaging live ESCs during develop...

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Main Authors: Laura Fernández-de-Manúel, Covadonga Díaz-Díaz, Daniel Jiménez-Carretero, Miguel Torres, María C. Montoya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2017-05-01
Series:BioTechniques
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Online Access:https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/000114545
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author Laura Fernández-de-Manúel
Covadonga Díaz-Díaz
Daniel Jiménez-Carretero
Miguel Torres
María C. Montoya
author_facet Laura Fernández-de-Manúel
Covadonga Díaz-Díaz
Daniel Jiménez-Carretero
Miguel Torres
María C. Montoya
author_sort Laura Fernández-de-Manúel
collection DOAJ
description Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be established as permanent cell lines, and their potential to differentiate into adult tissues has led to widespread use for studying the mechanisms and dynamics of stem cell differentiation and exploring strategies for tissue repair. Imaging live ESCs during development is now feasible due to advances in optical imaging and engineering of genetically encoded fluorescent reporters; however, a major limitation is the low spatio-temporal resolution of long-term 3-D imaging required for generational and neighboring reconstructions. Here, we present the ESC-Track (ESC-T) workflow, which includes an automated cell and nuclear segmentation and tracking tool for 4-D (3-D + time) confocal image data sets as well as a manual editing tool for visual inspection and error correction. ESC-T automatically identifies cell divisions and membrane contacts for lineage tree and neighborhood reconstruction and computes quantitative features from individual cell entities, enabling analysis of fluorescence signal dynamics and tracking of cell morphology and motion. We use ESC-T to examine Myc intensity fluctuations in the context of mouse ESC (mESC) lineage and neighborhood relationships. ESC-T is a powerful tool for evaluation of the genealogical and microenvironmental cues that maintain ESC fitness.
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institution OA Journals
issn 0736-6205
1940-9818
language English
publishDate 2017-05-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series BioTechniques
spelling doaj-art-7fe2ac33ff0d46ed8d45d7e3cf3d35a42025-08-20T02:26:03ZengTaylor & Francis GroupBioTechniques0736-62051940-98182017-05-0162521522210.2144/000114545ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCsLaura Fernández-de-Manúel0Covadonga Díaz-Díaz1Daniel Jiménez-Carretero2Miguel Torres3María C. Montoya41Cellomics Unit2Cardiovascular Developmental Program, Cell & Developmental Biology Area, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares CNIC, Madrid, Spain1Cellomics Unit2Cardiovascular Developmental Program, Cell & Developmental Biology Area, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares CNIC, Madrid, Spain1Cellomics UnitEmbryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be established as permanent cell lines, and their potential to differentiate into adult tissues has led to widespread use for studying the mechanisms and dynamics of stem cell differentiation and exploring strategies for tissue repair. Imaging live ESCs during development is now feasible due to advances in optical imaging and engineering of genetically encoded fluorescent reporters; however, a major limitation is the low spatio-temporal resolution of long-term 3-D imaging required for generational and neighboring reconstructions. Here, we present the ESC-Track (ESC-T) workflow, which includes an automated cell and nuclear segmentation and tracking tool for 4-D (3-D + time) confocal image data sets as well as a manual editing tool for visual inspection and error correction. ESC-T automatically identifies cell divisions and membrane contacts for lineage tree and neighborhood reconstruction and computes quantitative features from individual cell entities, enabling analysis of fluorescence signal dynamics and tracking of cell morphology and motion. We use ESC-T to examine Myc intensity fluctuations in the context of mouse ESC (mESC) lineage and neighborhood relationships. ESC-T is a powerful tool for evaluation of the genealogical and microenvironmental cues that maintain ESC fitness.https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/000114545ESCimage processingsegmentationtrackinglineage
spellingShingle Laura Fernández-de-Manúel
Covadonga Díaz-Díaz
Daniel Jiménez-Carretero
Miguel Torres
María C. Montoya
ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCs
BioTechniques
ESC
image processing
segmentation
tracking
lineage
title ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCs
title_full ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCs
title_fullStr ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCs
title_full_unstemmed ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCs
title_short ESC-Track: A computer workflow for 4-D segmentation, tracking, lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of ESCs
title_sort esc track a computer workflow for 4 d segmentation tracking lineage tracing and dynamic context analysis of escs
topic ESC
image processing
segmentation
tracking
lineage
url https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/000114545
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AT danieljimenezcarretero esctrackacomputerworkflowfor4dsegmentationtrackinglineagetracinganddynamiccontextanalysisofescs
AT migueltorres esctrackacomputerworkflowfor4dsegmentationtrackinglineagetracinganddynamiccontextanalysisofescs
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