Comprehensive understanding of connective neural pathways in the brain has put great challenges on the current imaging techniques, for which three-dimensional (3D) visualization of fiber tracts with high spatiotemporal resolution is desirable. Here we present optical imaging and tractography of rat brain ex-vivo using multi-contrast optical coherence tomography (MC-OCT), which is capable of simultaneously generating depth-resolved images of reflectivity, phase retardance, optic axis orientation and, for in-vivo studies, blood flow images. Using the birefringence property of myelin sheath, nerve fiber tracts as small as a few tens of micrometers can be resolved and neighboring fiber tracts with different orientations can be distinguished in cross-sectional optical slices, 2D en-face images and 3D volumetric images. Combinational contrast of MC-OCT images enables visualization of the spatial architecture and nerve fiber orientations in the brain with unprecedented detail. The results suggest that optical tractography, by virtue of its direct accessibility to nerve fibers, has the potential to validate diffusion magnetic resonance images and investigate structural connections in normal brain and neurological disorders. In addition, an endoscopic MC-OCT may be useful in neurosurgical interventions to aid in placement of deep brain stimulating electrodes.

We describe a serial optical coherence scanner (SOCS) for high resolution imaging of ex-vivo brain. SOCS integrates a multi-contrast optical coherence tomography and a vibratome slicer to establish comprehensive brain anatomy and fiber pathways in three-dimensional space. Rat brain images are demonstrated by utilizing intrinsic optical contrasts including back-scattering, birefringence and optic axis orientation, which are simultaneously generated from the same dataset. Volumetric images from serial scans are combined to realize large scale brain maps. Nerve fiber tracts are globally described in 3D by retardance, and delicately delineated by cross-polarization at the resolution of 15 × 15 × 5.5 μm3. In-plane orientations of the tracts are quantified by optic axis orientation. SOCS offers a new solution for complete reconstructions of macroscopic tissues such as primate and human brains at microscopic resolution. The technique also opens up varieties of opportunities for connectome studies and systematic investigations on neurological diseases and brain disorders.

We established a strategy to perform cross-validation of serial optical coherence scanner imaging (SOCS) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on a postmortem human medulla. Following DTI, the sample was serially scanned by SOCS, which integrates a vibratome slicer and a multi-contrast optical coherence tomography rig for large-scale three-dimensional imaging at microscopic resolution. The DTI dataset was registered to the SOCS space. An average correlation coefficient of 0.9 was found between the co-registered fiber maps constructed by fractional anisotropy and retardance contrasts. Pixelwise comparison of fiber orientations demonstrated good agreement between the DTI and SOCS measures. Details of the comparison were studied in regions exhibiting a variety of fiber organizations. DTI estimated the preferential orientation of small fiber tracts; however, it didn’t capture their complex patterns as SOCS did. In terms of resolution and imaging depth, SOCS and DTI complement each other, and open new avenues for cross-modality investigations of the brain.

BackgroundAquatic vascular plants are a distinctive group, differing from terrestrial plants in their growth forms and habitats. Among the various aquatic plant life forms, the evolutionary processes of freshwater submerged species are most likely distinct due to their exclusive occurrence in the discrete and patchy aquatic habitats. Using the chloroplast trnL-F region sequence data, we investigated the phylogeographic structure of a submerged macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillata, the single species in the genus Hydrilla, throughout China, in addition to combined sample data from other countries to reveal the colonisation and diversification processes of this species throughout the world.ResultsWe sequenced 681 individuals from 123 sampling locations throughout China and identified a significant phylogeographic structure (NST > GST, p < 0.01), in which four distinct lineages occurred in different areas. A high level of genetic differentiation among populations (global FST = 0.820) was detected. The divergence of Hydrilla was estimated to have occurred in the late Miocene, and the diversification of various clades was dated to the Pleistocene epoch. Biogeographic analyses suggested an East Asian origin of Hydrilla and its subsequent dispersal throughout the world.ConclusionsThe presence of all four clades in China indicates that China is most likely the centre of Hydrilla genetic diversity. The worldwide distribution of Hydrilla is due to recent vicariance and dispersal events that occurred in different clades during the Pleistocene. Our findings also provide useful information for the management of invasive Hydrilla in North America.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0381-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Historical population bottlenecks and natural selection have important effects on the current genetic diversity and structure of long-lived trees. Dracaena cambodiana is an endangered, long-lived tree endemic to Hainan Island, China. Our field investigations showed that only 10 populations remain on Hainan Island and that almost all have been seriously isolated and grow in distinct habitats. A considerable amount of genetic variation at the species level, but little variation at the population level, and a high level of genetic differentiation among the populations with limited gene flow in D. cambodiana were detected using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses. No significant correlation was found between genetic diversity and actual population size, as the genetic diversities were similar regardless of population size. The Mantel test revealed that there was no correlation between genetic and geographic distances among the 10 populations. The UPGMA, PCoA and Bayesian analyses showed that local adaptive divergence has occurred among the D. cambodiana populations, which was further supported by habitat-private fragments. We suggest that the current genetic diversity and population differentiation of D. cambodiana resulted from historical population bottlenecks and natural selection followed by historical isolation. However, the lack of natural regeneration of D. cambodiana indicates that former local adaptations with low genetic diversity may have been genetically weak and are unable to adapt to the current ecological environments.