Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitative analysis of patch patterns in mosaic tissues with ClonalTools software
AU - Mort, Richard L.
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - Quantitative analysis of mosaic tissues is a powerful method for following developmental lineages; however, analytical techniques are often subjective and repetitious. Here a flexible, semi-automated image analysis method for mosaic patterns is described. ClonalTools is a free customizable tool-set designed for the open-source image analysis package ImageJ. Circular, polygonal or linear one-dimensional mosaic arrays can be interrogated to provide measurements of the total number and width of positive and negative patches in a region of interest. These results are adjusted for the effects of random clumping using a previously described method to correct for differences in the contribution of the positive and negative cell type. The applicability of ClonalTools to different systems is discussed with reference to the analysis of mosaic patterns in the mouse corneal epithelium and adrenal cortex and in the outgrowth of neurites from explant cultures of mouse retina as example systems. To validate ClonalTools quantitatively, a recently published manual clonal analysis of the corneal epithelium of X-inactivation beta-Gal-mosaic mice was re-analysed. The semi-automated results did not differ significantly from the published data. Rapid quantification of such patterns to produce biologically relevant results represents a welcome improvement in terms of ease and speed of use over previous methods.
AB - Quantitative analysis of mosaic tissues is a powerful method for following developmental lineages; however, analytical techniques are often subjective and repetitious. Here a flexible, semi-automated image analysis method for mosaic patterns is described. ClonalTools is a free customizable tool-set designed for the open-source image analysis package ImageJ. Circular, polygonal or linear one-dimensional mosaic arrays can be interrogated to provide measurements of the total number and width of positive and negative patches in a region of interest. These results are adjusted for the effects of random clumping using a previously described method to correct for differences in the contribution of the positive and negative cell type. The applicability of ClonalTools to different systems is discussed with reference to the analysis of mosaic patterns in the mouse corneal epithelium and adrenal cortex and in the outgrowth of neurites from explant cultures of mouse retina as example systems. To validate ClonalTools quantitatively, a recently published manual clonal analysis of the corneal epithelium of X-inactivation beta-Gal-mosaic mice was re-analysed. The semi-automated results did not differ significantly from the published data. Rapid quantification of such patterns to produce biologically relevant results represents a welcome improvement in terms of ease and speed of use over previous methods.
KW - Adrenal Cortex
KW - Animals
KW - Epithelium, Corneal
KW - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
KW - Mice
KW - Mosaicism
KW - Pattern Recognition, Automated
KW - Software
KW - X Chromosome Inactivation
KW - Journal Article
KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01150.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01150.x
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 19840025
VL - 215
SP - 698
EP - 704
JO - Journal of Anatomy
JF - Journal of Anatomy
SN - 0021-8782
IS - 6
ER -