SParQ

SParQ automates identification and quantification of punctate fluorescent vesicular structures in Fiji/ImageJ to support quantitative analysis of the endolysosomal system and protein homeostasis, including autophagy.

Key Features:

• Automation: Automates quantification of punctate fluorescent structures within images.
• Fiji/ImageJ integration: Operates as a plug-in within Fiji/ImageJ to perform analyses inside that image analysis environment.
• User control and evaluation: Provides user oversight at critical stages of the quantification process to support accuracy and evaluation.
• Large-dataset processing: Enables efficient processing of large imaging datasets.
• Targeted vesicle quantification: Identifies and quantifies endosomes, autophagosomes, lysosomes, and model substrates labeled with fluorescent markers or fluorescent antibodies.

Scientific Applications:

• Endolysosomal system analysis: Quantitative analysis of endosomes, autophagosomes, lysosomes, and model substrates in fluorescence microscopy images.
• Protein homeostasis and transport: Studies of protein homeostasis and intracellular transport mechanisms relevant to cellular physiology.
• Autophagy research: Comparative quantification in chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), macroautophagy (MA), and endosomal microautophagy (eMI).
• Condition-based imaging studies: Quantification of vesicular structures across different experimental conditions using fluorescent markers or antibodies.

Methodology:

Identifies and quantifies punctate fluorescent structures within images via an automated Fiji/ImageJ plug-in workflow with user oversight at critical stages.