Imaging liquid crystalline mesophases in vivo and in vitro: measuring molecular birefringence and order parameter in liquid crystals

摘要

Abstract: A recent technique optimizing the detection of small birefringences typical of biological liquid crystals has been described elsewhere. Here, we derive a liner relationship between color intensity, molecular birefringence and degree of phase alignment, based on which, a quantitative image analysis is developed. The image analysis is used to define the dynamics of the phase transition-like increase in color intensity accompanying the condensation of the body-wall musculature in the maturing Drosophila larva, to map the orientation of the collagen fibers in the intervertebral disc, and to investigate mesophases of pork skin collagen assembled in vitro. !20