DeepACSON automated segmentation of white matter in 3D electron microscopy

Commun Biol. 2021 Feb 10;4(1):179. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-01699-w.

Abstract

Tracing the entirety of ultrastructures in large three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D-EM) images of the brain tissue requires automated segmentation techniques. Current segmentation techniques use deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) and rely on high-contrast cellular membranes and high-resolution EM volumes. On the other hand, segmenting low-resolution, large EM volumes requires methods to account for severe membrane discontinuities inescapable. Therefore, we developed DeepACSON, which performs DCNN-based semantic segmentation and shape-decomposition-based instance segmentation. DeepACSON instance segmentation uses the tubularity of myelinated axons and decomposes under-segmented myelinated axons into their constituent axons. We applied DeepACSON to ten EM volumes of rats after sham-operation or traumatic brain injury, segmenting hundreds of thousands of long-span myelinated axons, thousands of cell nuclei, and millions of mitochondria with excellent evaluation scores. DeepACSON quantified the morphology and spatial aspects of white matter ultrastructures, capturing nanoscopic morphological alterations five months after the injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Artificial Intelligence*
  • Brain Injuries, Traumatic / pathology*
  • Cell Nucleus / ultrastructure
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional*
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Electron*
  • Mitochondria / ultrastructure
  • Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / ultrastructure
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • White Matter / injuries
  • White Matter / ultrastructure*