Iguana Heart Epithelial Cells (IgH-2 Line)

The culture of IgH-2 epithelial cells illustrated in the digital image above was labeled for mitochondria with MitoTracker Red CMXRos and for the cytoskeletal filamentous actin network with Alexa Fluor 488 conjugated to phalloidin, a cyclic peptide derived from the toxic death cap fungus (Amanita phalloides). In addition, the cells were counterstained for DNA in the cell nucleus with Hoechst 33242. Images were recorded in grayscale with a 12-bit digital camera coupled to a Nikon Eclipse 80i microscope equipped with bandpass emission fluorescence filter optical blocks. During the processing stage, individual image channels were pseudocolored with RGB values corresponding to each of the fluorophore emission spectral profiles.