Characterization of mitochondrial populations during stem cell differentiation

Methods Mol Biol. 2015:1264:453-63. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2257-4_37.

Abstract

Mitochondrial dynamics play an important role in numerous physiological and pathophysiological phenomena in the developing and adult human heart. Alterations in structural aspects of cellular mitochondrial composition as a function of changes in physiology can easily be visualized using fluorescence microscopy. Commonly, mitochondrial location, number, and morphology are reported qualitatively due to the lack of automated and user-friendly computer-based analysis tools. Mitochondrial Quantification using MATLAB (MQM) is a computer-based tool to quantitatively assess these parameters by analyzing fluorescently labeled mitochondria within the cell; in particular, MQM provides numerical information on the number, area, and location of mitochondria within a cell in a time-efficient, automated, and unbiased way. This chapter describes the use of MQM's capabilities to quantify mitochondrial changes during human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) differentiation into spontaneously contracting cardiomyocytes (SC-CMs), which follows physiological pathways of human heart development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Culture Techniques
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods
  • Mitochondria / physiology*
  • Molecular Imaging / methods
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / physiology*