Nanoscale Resolution Imaging of Whole Mouse Embryos Using Expansion Microscopy

Jueun Sim; Chan E. Park; In Cho; Kyeongbae Min; Minho Eom; Seungjae Han; Hyungju Jeon; Eun-Seo Cho; Yunjeong Lee; Young Hyun Yun; Sungho Lee; Deok-Hyeon Cheon; Jihyun Kim; Museong Kim; Hyun-Ju Cho; Ji-Won Park; Ajeet Kumar; Yosep Chong; Jeong Seuk Kang; Kiryl D. Piatkevich; Erica E. Jung; Du-Seock Kang; Seok-Kyu Kwon; Jinhyun Kim; Ki-Jun Yoon; Jeong-Soo Lee; Cheol-Hee Kim; Myunghwan Choi; Jin Woo Kim; Mi-Ryoung Song; Hyung Jin Choi; Edward S. Boyden; Young-Gyu Yoon; Jae-Byum Chang

doi:10.1021/acsnano.4c14791

journal article·2025-03-04

Nanoscale Resolution Imaging of Whole Mouse Embryos Using Expansion Microscopy

Jueun Sim, Chan E. Park, In Cho, Kyeongbae Min, Minho Eom, Seungjae Han, Hyungju Jeon, Eun-Seo Cho, Yunjeong Lee, Young Hyun Yun, Sungho Lee, Deok-Hyeon Cheon, Jihyun Kim, Museong Kim, Hyun-Ju Cho, Ji-Won Park, Ajeet Kumar, Yosep Chong, Jeong Seuk Kang, Kiryl D. Piatkevich, Erica E. Jung, Du-Seock Kang, Seok-Kyu Kwon, Jinhyun Kim, Ki-Jun Yoon, Jeong-Soo Lee, Cheol-Hee Kim, Myunghwan Choi, Jin Woo Kim, Mi-Ryoung Song, Hyung Jin Choi, Edward S. Boyden, Young-Gyu Yoon, Jae-Byum Chang

ACS Nano· Volume 19· Issue 8

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Source abstract

Abstract

Nanoscale imaging of whole vertebrates is essential for the systematic understanding of human diseases, yet this goal has not yet been achieved. Expansion microscopy (ExM) is an attractive option for accomplishing this aim; however, the expansion of even mouse embryos at mid- and late-developmental stages, which have fewer calcified body parts than adult mice, is yet to be demonstrated due to the challenges of expanding calcified tissues. Here, we introduce a state-of-the-art ExM technique, termed whole-body ExM, that utilizes cyclic digestion. This technique allows for the super-resolution, volumetric imaging of anatomical structures, proteins, and endogenous fluorescent proteins (FPs) within embryonic and neonatal mice by expanding them 4-fold. The key feature of whole-body ExM is the alternating application of two enzyme compositions repeated multiple times. Through the simple repetition of this digestion process with an increasing number of cycles, mouse embryos of various stages up to E18.5, and even neonatal mice, which display a dramatic difference in the content of calcified tissues compared to embryos, are expanded without further laborious optimization. Furthermore, the whole-body ExM's ability to retain FP signals allows the visualization of various neuronal structures in transgenic mice. Whole-body ExM could facilitate studies of molecular changes in various vertebrates.

Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline

Research context

Nanomaterials

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications · Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications · Cell Adhesion Molecules Research

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Sungkyunkwan University

School of Electrical Engineering

Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology

School of Life Sciences

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

Seoul National University College of Medicine

School of Biological Sciences

Seoul National University

Department of Integrated Biomedical and Life Sciences

College of Health Sciences, Korea University

Department of Biological Sciences

Microbiome Convergence Research Center

Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology

Department of Biology

Chungnam National University

Department of Hospital Pathology, Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine

The Catholic University of Korea

John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Harvard University

Westlake University

Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine

Funding

Howard Hughes Medical Institute · Samsung · National Research Foundation of Korea · Good Ventures Foundation · Korea Institute of Science and Technology · U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Research Office · National Institutes of Health (NIH) · Korea Health Industry Development Institute · Lisa Yang · John Doerr · Open Philanthropy

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