A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.
Chapters
- 00:05Introduction
- 01:28Immunostaining of F-Actin and Activated-PAK1 for the Characterization of Tunneling Nanotubes
- 04:16Imaging with Confocal Microscopy
- 06:00Analysis of Confocal Z-Stack Images to Identify and Quantify Tunneling Nanotubes
- 09:453D Reconstruction of Z-Stack Images to Characterize Tunneling Nanotubes
- 11:00Results: Characterization of Tunneling Nanotubes by Constructing a 3D Volume View of Confocal Z Stack Images
- 12:11Conclusion
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are primarily open-ended F-actin membrane nanotubes that connect neighboring cells, facilitating intercellular communication. The notable characteristic that distinguishes TNTs from other cell protrusions is the hovering nature of the nanotubes between cells. Here, we characterize TNTs by constructing a 3D volume view of confocal z-stack images.
