title: 3-dimensional imaging of collagen using second harmonic generation.
abstract: Collagen is the most important structural protein of the animal body. Its unique triple-helix structure and extremely high level of crystallinity make it exceptionally efficient in generating the second harmonic of incident light, and we show here how this leads to a novel mode of microscopy of immediate practical significance in medicine and biology. In particular, it provides sensitive and high-resolution information on collagen distribution, discriminates between type I and type III collagen, and allows both a greater understanding of and a sensitive test for cirrhosis of the liver. Future research applications could include wound healing and hereditary collagen diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta.
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscope Unit, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. guy@emu.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kable
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manconi
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Gorrell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D020405:Dermis / Q000378:metabolism; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008027:Light; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D007614:Macropodidae; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D013623:Tail / Q000378:metabolism; D013710:Tendons / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen