Characterization and classification of adherent cells in monolayer culture using automated tracking and evolutionary algorithms.
This paper presents a novel method for tracking and characterizing adherent cells in monolayer culture. A system of cell tracking employing computer vision techniques was applied to time-lapse videos of replicate normal human uro-epithelial cell cultures exposed to different concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and a selective purinergic P2X antagonist (PPADS), acquired over a 24h period. Subsequent analysis following feature extraction demonstrated the ability of the technique to successfully separate the modulated classes of cell using evolutionary algorithms. Specifically, a Cartesian Genetic Program (CGP) network was evolved that identified average migration speed, in-contact angular velocity, cohesivity and average cell clump size as the principal features contributing to the separation. Our approach not only provides non-biased and parsimonious insight into modulated class behaviours, but can be extracted as mathematical formulae for the parameterization of computational models.
Department of Electronics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK. Electronic address: zz636@york.ac.uk.
Zhen
Z
Zhang
Department of Computer Science, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5GW, UK. Electronic address: mb708@york.ac.uk.
Matthew
M
Bedder
Department of Electronics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK. Electronic address: stephen.smith@york.ac.uk.
Stephen L
SL
Smith
Department of Computer Science & Insigneo, Institute for in silico Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK. Electronic address: d.c.walker@sheffield.ac.uk.
Dawn
D
Walker
Jack Birch Unit, Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
Saqib
S
Shabir
Jack Birch Unit, Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK. Electronic address: jennifer.southgate@york.ac.uk.
Jennifer
J
Southgate
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000465:Algorithms; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002452:Cell Count; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D058948:Cell Tracking / Q000379:methods*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018715:Microscopy, Video / Q000379:methods; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019459:Urothelium / Q000166:cytology
C077792:pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate