Automated Tracking of Biopolymer Growth and Network Deformation with TSOAX

Ting Xu, Christos Langouras, Maral Adeli Koudehi, Bart E. Vos, Ning Wang, Gijsje H. Koenderink, Xiaolei Huang, Dimitrios Vavylonis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Studies of how individual semi-flexible biopolymers and their network assemblies change over time reveal dynamical and mechanical properties important to the understanding of their function in tissues and living cells. Automatic tracking of biopolymer networks from fluorescence microscopy time-lapse sequences facilitates such quantitative studies. We present an open source software tool that combines a global and local correspondence algorithm to track biopolymer networks in 2D and 3D, using stretching open active contours. We demonstrate its application in fully automated tracking of elongating and intersecting actin filaments, detection of loop formation and constriction of tilted contractile rings in live cells, and tracking of network deformation under shear deformation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number1717
JournalScientific reports
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2019

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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