Sparse deconvolution of high-density super-resolution images

Sci Rep. 2016 Feb 25:6:21413. doi: 10.1038/srep21413.

Abstract

In wide-field super-resolution microscopy, investigating the nanoscale structure of cellular processes, and resolving fast dynamics and morphological changes in cells requires algorithms capable of working with a high-density of emissive fluorophores. Current deconvolution algorithms estimate fluorophore density by using representations of the signal that promote sparsity of the super-resolution images via an L1-norm penalty. This penalty imposes a restriction on the sum of absolute values of the estimates of emitter brightness. By implementing an L0-norm penalty--on the number of fluorophores rather than on their overall brightness--we present a penalized regression approach that can work at high-density and allows fast super-resolution imaging. We validated our approach on simulated images with densities up to 15 emitters per μm(-2) and investigated total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) data of mitochondria in a HEK293-T cell labeled with DAKAP-Dronpa. We demonstrated super-resolution imaging of the dynamics with a resolution down to 55 nm and a 0.5 s time sampling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Fluorescent Dyes / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mitochondria / pathology

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes