Abstract
Recently, biogenic gas vesicles (GVs), naturally formed by cyanobacteria and haloarchaea, have exhibited great potential as an ultrasound molecular imaging probe with a much smaller size (∼100 nm) and improved imaging contrast. However, the basic acoustic and biological properties of GVs remain unclear, which hinders future application. Here, we studied the fundamental acoustic properties of a rod-shaped gas vesicle from Anabaena, a kind of cyanobacterium, including attenuation, oscillation resonance, and scattering, as well as biological behaviors (cellular internalization and cytotoxicity). We found that GVs have two resonance peaks (85 and 120 MHz). We also observed a significant non-linear effect and its pressure dependence as well. Ultrasound B-mode imaging reveals sufficient echogenicity of GVs for ultrasound imaging enhancement at high frequencies. Biological characterization also reveals endocytosis and non-toxicity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2862-2870 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2017 |
Keywords
- Acoustic characterization
- Contrast agent
- Gas vesicle
- Molecular imaging
- Nanobubble
- Resonance frequency
- Scattering property
- Ultrasound
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
- Biophysics
- Acoustics and Ultrasonics