The Use of Living Cancer Cells Expressing Green Fluorescent Protein in the Nucleus and Red Fluorescence Protein in the Cytoplasm for Real-time Confocal Imaging of Chromosome and Cytoplasmic Dynamics During Mitosis.

Background/Aim: A library of dual-color fluorescent cancer cells with green fluorescent protein (GFP), linked to histone H2B, expressed in the nucleus and red fluorescent protein (RFP) expressed in the cytoplasm was previously genetically engineered. The aim of the current study was to use the dual-color cancer cells to visualize chromosome and cytoplasmic dynamics during mitosis. Materials and Methods: Using an Olympus FV1000 confocal microscope, a library of dual-color cells from the major cancer types was cultured on plastic. The cells were imaged by confocal microscopy to demonstrate chromosome and cytoplasmic dynamics during mitosis. Results: Nuclear GFP expression enabled visualization of chromosomes behavior, whereas simultaneous cytoplasmic RFP expression enabled visualization of cytoplasmic behavior during mitosis. Thus, total cellular dynamics can be visualized at high resolution, including individual chromosomes in some cases, in living dual-color cells in real time. Conclusion: Dual-color cancer cells expressing H2B-GFP in the nucleus and RFP in the cytoplasm provide unique tools for visualizing subcellular nuclear and cytoplasm dynamics, including the behavior of individual chromosomes during mitosis. The dual-color cells can be used to evaluate chromosomal loss or gain in real time during treatment with a variety of agents or as the cells are selected for increased or decreased malignancy in culture or in vivo. The dual color cells will be a useful tool to discover and evaluate novel strategies for killing cancer cells.