New Tools for Imaging of Immune Systems: Visualization of Cell Cycle, Cell Death, and Cell Movement by Using the Mice Lines Expressing Fucci, SCAT3.1, and Kaede and KikGR.

Visualization of biological events in real time in vivo has become a crucial to understand immune responses. We have been established novel visualization tools for life of immune cells: proliferation, cell death, and migration. Fucci-transgenic mice allow us to visualize cell cycle phases by reciprocal expression of mKusabira-Orange2 in G phase and mAzami-Green in S/G/M phase. Caspase-3 indicator SCAT3.1 knock-in mice visualize cell death by changing color. Photoconvertible proteins, Kaede and KikGR expressing mice track cell movement between organs by labeling immune cells as red color. Here, I will introduce how to use and visualize these mice. These techniques will help to understand immune system in the living whole body.