title: Sarcomere imaging by quantum dots for the study of cardiac muscle physiology.
abstract: We here review the use of quantum dots (QDs) for the imaging of sarcomeric movements in cardiac muscle. QDs are fluorescence substances (CdSe) that absorb photons and reemit photons at a different wavelength (depending on the size of the particle); they are efficient in generating long-lasting, narrow symmetric emission profiles, and hence useful in various types of imaging studies. Recently, we developed a novel system in which the length of a particular, single sarcomere in cardiomyocytes can be measured at ~30 nm precision. Moreover, our system enables accurate measurement of sarcomere length in the isolated heart. We propose that QDs are the ideal tool for the study of sarcomere dynamics during excitation-contraction coupling in healthy and diseased cardiac muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Physiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Fuyu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kobirumaki-Shimozawa
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serizawa
authors.forename: Akari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kagemoto
authors.forename: Togo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimozawa
authors.forename: Shin'ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishiwata
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051379:Mice; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012518:Sarcomeres / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism