Research

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Light Imaging Section

Evelyn Ralston, Ph.D.
Section Chief, Light Imaging Section
Office of Science and Technology (OST)
Phone: (301) 496-6164
Fax: (301) 402-3417
E-mail: ralstone@mail.nih.gov

Overview

The mission of the Light Imaging Section is to give NIAMS scientists access to state-of-the-art light imaging equipment and to offer training and assistance at all stages of the acquisition and analysis of images with various techniques of light microscopy.

Our research focuses on the use of light microscopy techniques to elucidate poorly understood aspects of skeletal muscle cell biology, i.e. the organization of microtubules and their associated subcellular organelles, particularly the Golgi complex. We also strive to apply new modalities of light microscopy to the quantitative analysis of skeletal muscle pathologies.


Selected Publications

Zhang T., Zaal, K.J.M., Sheridan, J., Mehta, A., Gundersen, G., and Ralston, E. (2009) The Microtubule Plus-End Binding Protein EB1 is Necessary for Muscle Cell Differentiation, Elongation, and Fusion. J. Cell Sci. In Press.

Ralston E, Swaim B, Czapiga M, Hwu WL, Chien YH, Pittis MG, Bembi B, Schwartz O, Plotz P, Raben N. Detection and imaging of non-contractile inclusions and sarcomeric anomalies in skeletal muscle by second harmonic generation combined with two-photon excited fluorescence. J Struct Biol. 2008 Jun;162(3):500-8. Epub 2008 Apr 8, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2008.03.010. PubMed Icon

Ralston, E., Lu Z., Biscocho, N., Soumaka, E., Mavroidis, M., Prats, C., Lømo, T., Capetanaki, Y. & Ploug, T. Blood vessels and desmin control the positioning of nuclei in skeletal muscle fibers. J. Cell. Physiol. Published Online: 13 Sep 2006 
DOI: 10.1002/jcp.20780.

Bugnard E, Zaal KJ, Ralston E. Reorganization of microtubule nucleation during muscle differentiation. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 2005; 60(1): 1-13. PubMed Icon

Lu Z, Joseph D, Bugnard E, Zaal KJ, Ralston E. Golgi complex reorganization during muscle differentiation: visualization in living cells and mechanism. Mol Biol Cell. 2001; 12:795-808. PubMed Icon

See complete list of publications

 

Updated January 6, 2009