The Invi SPIM was used in a recent publication by researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg.
Video: Time-lapse images of an H2B-GFP;mT embryo developing in 3D-geec from D0 to D2.
In addition to imaging of the mouse embryo, the Photomanipulation Module of the Invi SPIM was used for precise laser ablations of cell-cell junctions at the trophectoderm layer.
Ichikawa et al., 2021. An ex vivo system to study cellular dynamics underlying mouse peri-implantation development. Developmental Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.12.023
Abstract
Upon implantation, mammalian embryos undergo major morphogenesis and key developmental processes
such as body axis specification and gastrulation. However, limited accessibility obscures the study of these
crucial processes. Here, we develop an ex vivo Matrigel-collagen-based culture to recapitulate mouse development
from E4.5 to E6.0. Our system not only recapitulates embryonic growth, axis initiation, and overall 3D
architecture in 49% of the cases, but its compatibility with light-sheet microscopy also enables the study of
cellular dynamics through automatic cell segmentation. We find that, upon implantation, release of the
increasing tension in the polar trophectoderm is necessary for its constriction and invagination. The resulting
extra-embryonic ectoderm plays a key role in growth, morphogenesis, and patterning of the neighboring
epiblast, which subsequently gives rise to all embryonic tissues. This 3D ex vivo system thus offers unprecedented
access to peri-implantation development for in totomonitoring, measurement, and spatiotemporally
controlled perturbation, revealing a mechano-chemical interplay between extra-embryonic and embryonic
tissues.
