Figure 1

Imaging chromatin in living transgenic ES cells constitutively expressing a H2B-EGFP fusion protein. (a) Bright-field and (b) dark-field micrographs of a CAG::H2B-EGFP ES cell colony. The inset shows a detail with three nuclei in metaphase (pink arrowheads) with the metaphase plates orientated differently. The mitotic spindle of the cell at the top is closely aligned to the z-y plane whereas those for the lower two cells are more closely aligned with the x-z planes. (c) Rendered stack (3-D reconstruction) of sequential optical slices acquired using spinning disc confocal methodology, projected as a fixed angle view of an embryoid body comprised of ES cells constitutively expressing a H2B-EGFP fusion. Pink arrowheads indicate two nuclei in late-anaphase – telophase. Yellow arrowhead points to the nuclear remnant of a cell that has necrosed or apoptosed. (d – f) High-power sequential optical sections each (1 μm apart) through ES cells constitutively expressing the H2B-EGFP fusion, taken using laser scanning confocal methodology showing interphase nuclei, a mitotic nucleus (pink arrowhead) and a pycnotic nucleus (yellow arrowhead).