Ultrasound imaging of gene expression in mammalian cells

The study of cellular processes occurring inside intact organisms requires methods to visualize cellular functions such as gene expression in deep tissues. Ultrasound is a widely used biomedical technology enabling noninvasive imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution. However, no geneticall...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2019-09, Vol.365 (6460), p.1469-1475
Main Authors: Farhadi, Arash, Ho, Gabrielle H, Sawyer, Daniel P, Bourdeau, Raymond W, Shapiro, Mikhail G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustics
Anabaena flos-aquae - genetics
Animals
Bacillus megaterium - genetics
Bacteria
CHO Cells
Cricetulus
Gene Expression
Genes
Genes, Reporter
Genetic code
Halobacterium salinarum - genetics
HEK293 Cells
Humans
Image resolution
Mammalian cells
Mammals
Mice
Mice, Inbred NOD
Mice, SCID
Multigene Family
Nanostructures - chemistry
Proteins
Proteins - genetics
Sound waves
Temporal resolution
Tissues
Transfection
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonography
Ultrasound
Xenografts
Xenotransplantation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The study of cellular processes occurring inside intact organisms requires methods to visualize cellular functions such as gene expression in deep tissues. Ultrasound is a widely used biomedical technology enabling noninvasive imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution. However, no genetically encoded molecular reporters are available to connect ultrasound contrast to gene expression in mammalian cells. To address this limitation, we introduce mammalian acoustic reporter genes. Starting with a gene cluster derived from bacteria, we engineered a eukaryotic genetic program whose introduction into mammalian cells results in the expression of intracellular air-filled protein nanostructures called gas vesicles, which produce ultrasound contrast. Mammalian acoustic reporter genes allow cells to be visualized at volumetric densities below 0.5% and permit high-resolution imaging of gene expression in living animals.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aax4804