3D quantification of zebrafish cerebrovascular architecture by automated image analysis of light sheet fluorescence microscopy datasets

Abstract

Zebrafish transgenic lines and light sheet fluorescence microscopy allow in-depth insights into vascular development in vivo and 3D. However, robust quantification of the zebrafish cerebral vasculature in 3D remains a challenge, and would be essential to describe the vascular architecture. Here, we report an image analysis pipeline that allows 3D quantification of the total or regional zebrafish brain vasculature. This is achieved by landmark- or object-based inter-sample registration and extraction of quantitative parameters including vascular volume, surface area, density, branching points, length, radius, and complexity. Application of our analysis pipeline to a range of sixteen genetic or pharmacological manipulations shows that our quantification approach is robust, allows extraction of biologically relevant information, and provides novel insights into vascular biology. To allow dissemination, the code for quantification, a graphical user interface, and workflow documentation are provided. Together, we present the first 3D quantification approach to assess the whole 3D cerebrovascular architecture in zebrafish.