Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2021 May 17;60(21):11769-11773. doi: 10.1002/anie.202101467. Epub 2021 Apr 16.
Cell junctions are protein structures located at specific cell membrane domains that determine key processes in multicellular development. Here we report spatially selective imaging of cell junctions by electrochemiluminescence (ECL) microscopy. By regulating the concentrations of luminophore and/or co-reactant, the thickness of ECL layer can be controlled to match with the spatial location of different cell junctions. At a low concentration of luminophore, ECL generation is confined to the electrode surface, thus revealing only cell-matrix adhesions at the bottom of cells. While at a high concentration of luminophore, the ECL layer can be remarkably extended by decreasing the co-reactant concentration, thus allowing the sequential imaging of cell-matrix and cell-cell junctions at the bottom and near the apical surface of cells, respectively. This strategy not only provides new insights into the ECL mechanisms but also promises wide applications of ECL microscopy in bioimaging.
细胞连接是位于特定细胞膜区域的蛋白质结构，决定了多细胞发育中的关键过程。在这里，我们报告了通过电致化学发光（ECL）显微镜对细胞连接进行空间选择性成像。通过调节发光体和/或共反应物的浓度，可以控制 ECL 层的厚度以匹配不同细胞连接的空间位置。在发光体的低浓度下，ECL 的产生局限于电极表面，因此仅能揭示细胞底部的细胞-基质黏附。而在高浓度的发光体下，通过降低共反应物的浓度可以显著扩展 ECL 层，从而分别允许在细胞底部和近顶表面处对细胞-基质和细胞-细胞连接进行顺序成像。该策略不仅为 ECL 机制提供了新的见解，而且有望在生物成像中广泛应用 ECL 显微镜。
