Cellular highways under the microscope
Neuron images provide information about degenerative neurological diseases
What looks like an abstract thistle is actually a neuron in a mouse brain tumor. Research related to this image could shed light on the origins of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and lay the foundation for long-awaited treatments. This photo is the winner of the 50th Nikon Small World Contest.
▲ Bruna Cisterna won the Nikon Small World competition with this image showing nerve cells in a rat brain tumor. © Dr. Bruno Cisterna und Dr. Eric Vitriol/Nikon Small World
According to the 'Dementia Status by City and County' of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea, the number of Alzheimer's dementia patients aged 65 or older in Korea in 2022 was 706,719, accounting for about 76% of the total number of elderly dementia patients (924,870).
In Germany, about 1.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease. This disease is a neurodegenerative disease that, like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is caused by the gradual loss of nerve cells. The exact causes of this neurodegeneration are only partly known. Genetic factors, environmental influences, and certain viral infections may play a role.
Microscopic “highways”
“One of the main problems with neurodegenerative diseases is that we don’t fully understand what causes them. In order to develop effective treatments, we first need to understand the basics,” explains Bruno Cisterna of Augusta University in Georgia, USA. He and his team investigated how changes in the cytoskeleton can cause problems in neurons and lead to cell death. The team also took the image above.
The cytoskeleton, shown here in green and white, plays a role in stabilizing the cell. The nucleus of a neuron is shown in purple. The cytoskeleton also contains so-called microtubules, which act as “highways” for motor proteins. They appear as green threads in the image.
Getting to your destination faster isn’t always an advantage.
Cisterna and his colleagues discovered that a protein commonly found in the body called profilin-1 plays a role in maintaining microtubules as well as in the structure of the cytoskeleton. In the experiment, when protein release was reduced, more microtubules were formed. In addition, the lack of protein increased the speed of the microtubule highway. The organelles moved from A to B more quickly.
These changes in the cytoskeleton may not sound dramatic at first, but they can lead to cellular changes or damage, as seen in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Learning more about the exact link could shed more light on the origins of neurodegeneration and even lead to treatments.
A Lot of Patience
Patience isn’t just needed when searching for a cure. Cisterna also had to be patient to take the photo above. “It took about three months to perfect the staining process so that the cells were clearly visible,” the researcher said. It took three hours of observation through the microscope to capture the exact moment. Thanks to that patience, he has now won first place in the Nikon Small World competition.
Since 1975, the competition has honored the best photographs taken by researchers and laypeople through microscopes. In addition to creativity and artistic impact, the judges also consider information content and technical ability when selecting the winning image.
Source: Nikon Small World, Journal of Cell Biology