Microtubule Tip Tracking Sequences

Microtubules are biopolymers of the cytoplasm. A mammalian cell has hundreds of microtubules that form an assembly. The dynamics of their assembly are significant for several real time cell operations such as motion and division.

The most dynamic part of the microtubule assembly are the outer ends of the microtubules. They move laterally as well as (de)-polymerize towards and away from the cell membrane. Their contact with the cell membrane modulates cell adhesions with the extracellular matrix that provide mechanical support for cell migration and cell division.

Abnormal structure and function of the microtubules is also related to cell pathology. Microtubule abnormalities have been found to correlate with Alzheimer's symptoms. Moreover, many anticancer drugs, such as Taxol, act by inhibiting the polymerization of the microtubules.

In our work we automatically process video microscopy data. We segment microtubules in individual video frames. We also track the motion of the microtubule outer ends throughout microscopy sequences. The substrate are cells in vivo labeled with fluorescent tubulin. The imaging techniques used are conventional widefield microscopy, confocal microscopy, as well as total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy. The goal is to quantify microtubule structure as well as dynamics and relate them to cell operations such as motion.

Publications

Automatic Quantification of Microtubule Dynamics (pdf)
Stathis Hadjidemetriou, James S. Duncan, Derek Toomre, and David Tuck
IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging: From Nano to Macro,
(ISBI) 2004, April, Virginia.
Segmentation and 3D Reconstruction of Microtubules in Total Internal Reflection
Fluorescence Microscopy (TIRFM) (pdf)
Stathis Hadjidemetriou, Derek Toomre, and James S. Duncan,
8th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention,
(MICCAI) 2005, October, Palm Springs, California. (To appear)
Motion Tracking of the Outer Tips of Microtubules (pdf)
Stathis Hadjidemetriou, Derek Toomre, and James S. Duncan
In preparation for Medical Image Analysis
Microtubule Segmentation and 3D Reconstruction in Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (TIRFM) (pdf)
Stathis Hadjidemetriou, Derek Toomre, and James S. Duncan
In preparation

Video sequences showing the tracking of microtubule outer tips

Examples of phantom video sequences

Examples of real video sequences