Exploring the third dimension: Volume electron microscopy comes of age

Groundbreaking advances in volume electron microscopy and specimen preparation are enabling the 3-dimensional visualisation of specimens with unprecedented detail, and driving a gratifying resurgence of interest in the ultrastructural examination of cellular systems. Serial section techniques, previously the domain of specialists, are becoming increasingly automated with the development of systems such as the automatic tape-collecting ultramicrotome, and serial blockface and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopes. These changes are rapidly broadening the scope of biomedical studies to which volume electron microscopy techniques can be applied beyond the brain. Further innovations in microscope design are also in the pipeline, which have the potential to enhance the speed and quality of data collection. The recent introduction of integrated light and electron microscopy systems will revolutionise correlative light and volume electron microscopy studies, by enabling the sequential collection of data from light and electron imaging modalities without intermediate specimen manipulation. In doing so, the acquisition of comprehensive functional information and direct correlation with ultrastructural details within a 3-dimensional reference space will become routine. The prospects for volume electron microscopy are therefore bright, and the stage is set for a challenging and exciting future.     

Correlated light and electron microscopy observations of the uterine epithelial cell actin cytoskeleton using fluorescently labeled resin-embedded sections

In order to perform correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) more precisely, we have modified existing specimen preparation protocols allowing fluorescence retention within embedded and sectioned tissue, facilitating direct observation across length scales. We detail a protocol which provides a precise correlation accuracy using accessible techniques in biological specimen preparation. By combining a pre-embedding uranyl acetate staining step with the progressive lowering of temperature (PLT) technique, a methacrylate embedded tissue specimen is ultrathin sectioned and mounted onto a TEM finder grid for immediate viewing in the confocal and electron microscope. In this study, the protocol is applied to rat uterine epithelial cells in vivo during early pregnancy. Correlative overlay data was used to track changes in filamentous actin that occurs in these cells from fertilization (Day 1) to implantation on Day 6 as part of the plasma membrane transformation, a process essential in the development of uterine receptivity in the rat. CLEM confirmed that the actin cytoskeleton is disrupted as apical microvilli are progressively lost toward implantation, and revealed the thick and continuous terminal web is replaced by a thinner and irregular actin band, with individually distinguishable filaments connecting actin meshworks which correspond with remaining plasma membrane protrusions.     

超分辨率成像荧光探针材料应用进展

为了进一步认知复杂环境中的细胞生物学过程,研究人员发展了各种各样的生物成像技术。在这些技术中,生物荧光成像因简单的成像条件以及对生物样品的相容性而得到了广泛的发展。然而,传统的荧光成像技术受到了光学衍射极限的限制,无法分辨低于200 nm的空间结构,阻碍了对亚细胞结构的生物学过程研究。超分辨荧光显微镜技术突破了传统光学衍射对成像分辨率的限制,能够获取纳米尺度的细胞动态过程。除了对传统的宽场荧光显微镜框架的改进及升级改造之外,目前典型的超分辨成像显微镜技术通常依赖于荧光探针材料的光物理性质。常用的荧光探针材料包括荧光蛋白、有机荧光分子和纳米荧光材料等。本文介绍了几种主流的超分辨荧光显微成像技术并总结了已经成功应用到超分辨生物荧光成像中的荧光探针材料的应用进展。     

Immunohistochemical demonstration of the small GTPase RhoA on epoxy-resin embedded sections

The purpose of the present study was to establish a method for light microscopical immunohistochemical localization of the small G protein RhoA on specimens treated and embedded for routine transmission electron microscopy. There are advantages in antigen immunolocalization on resin semi-thin sections compared to cryostat or paraffin sections: the preservation of morphological details, the well-defined immunoprecipitate localization and the possibility to correlate the immunohistochemical results with those obtained by electron microscope on neighbouring sections. These advantages are particularly useful for the subcellular localization of low molecular weight proteins such as RhoA, a small G protein able to cycle from the inactive cytoplasmic form to the plasma membrane-bound active form.     

Localization microscopy (SPDM) facilitates high precision control of lithographically produced nanostructures

Nanoscale resolution in material sciences is usually restricted to scanning electron beam microscopes. Here we present a procedure that allows single molecule resolution of the sample surface with visible light. Highlighting the performance we used electron beam lithography to generate highly regular nanostructures consisting of interconnected cubes. The samples were labeled with Alexa 647 dyes. The spatial organization of the dyes on nanostructured surfaces was localized with single molecule resolution using localization microscopy. This succeeded also in an absolute spatial calibration of the localization method applied (spectral precision distance microscopy/SPDM). The findings will contribute to the field of product control for industrial applications and long-term fluorescence imaging.     

Correlative microscopy: a powerful tool for exploring neurological cells and tissues

Imaging tools for exploring the neurological samples have seen a rapid transformation over the last decade. Approaches that allow clear and specific delineation of targeted tissues, individual neurons, and their cell–cell connections as well as subcellular constituents have been especially valuable. Considering the significant complexity and extent to which the nervous system interacts with every organ system in the body, one non-trivial challenge has been how to identify and target specific structures and pathologies by microscopy. To this end, correlative methods enable one to view the same exact structure of interest utilizing the capabilities of typically separate, but powerful, microscopy platforms. As such, correlative microscopy is well-positioned to address the three critical problems of identification, scale, and resolution inherent to neurological systems. Furthermore, the application of multiple imaging platforms to the study of singular biological events enables more detailed investigations of structure–function relationships to be conducted, greatly facilitating our understanding of relevant phenomenon. This comprehensive review provides an overview of methods for correlative microscopy, including histochemistry, transgenic markers, immunocytochemistry, photo-oxidation as well as various probes and tracers. An emphasis is placed on correlative light and electron microscopic strategies used to facilitate relocation of neurological structures. Correlative microscopy is an invaluable tool for neurological research, and we fully anticipate developments in automation of the process, and the increasing availability of genomic and transgenic tools will facilitate the adoption of correlative microscopy as the method of choice for many imaging experiments.     

A Correlative Analysis of Gold Nanoparticles Internalized by A549 Cells

Fluorescently labeled nanoparticles are widely used to investigate nanoparticle cell interactions by fluorescence microscopy. Owing to limited lateral and axial resolution, nanostructures (<100 nm) cannot be resolved by conventional light micro­scopy techniques. Especially after uptake into cells, a common fate of the fluorescence label and the particle core cannot be taken for granted. In this study, a correlative approach is presented to image fluorescently labeled gold nanoparticles inside whole cells by correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM). This approach allows for detection of the fluorescently labeled particle shell as well as for the gold core in one sample. In this setup, A549 cells are exposed to 8 nm Atto 647N‐labeled gold nanoparticles (3.3 × 10⁹ particles mL^?1, 0.02 μg Au mL^?1) for 5 h and are subsequently imaged by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Eight fluorescence signals located at different intracellular positions are further analyzed by TEM. Five of the eight fluorescence spots are correlated with isolated or agglomerated gold nanoparticles. Three fluorescence signals could not be related to the presence of gold, indicating a loss of the particle shell.     

Microscopy techniques in flavivirus research

The Flavivirus genus is composed of many medically important viruses that cause high morbidity and mortality, which include Dengue and West Nile viruses. Various molecular and biochemical techniques have been developed in the endeavour to study flaviviruses. However, microscopy techniques still have irreplaceable roles in the identification of novel virus pathogens and characterization of morphological changes in virus-infected cells. Fluorescence microscopy contributes greatly in understanding the fundamental viral protein localizations and virus–host protein interactions during infection. Electron microscopy remains the gold standard for visualizing ultra-structural features of virus particles and infected cells. New imaging techniques and combinatory applications are continuously being developed to push the limit of resolution and extract more quantitative data. Currently, correlative live cell imaging and high resolution three-dimensional imaging have already been achieved through the tandem use of optical and electron microscopy in analyzing biological specimens. Microscopy techniques are also used to measure protein binding affinities and determine the mobility pattern of proteins in cells. This chapter will consolidate on the applications of various well-established microscopy techniques in flavivirus research, and discuss how recently developed microscopy techniques can potentially help advance our understanding in these membrane viruses.     

Monitoring the effect of sonoporation on the cells using electrochemical approach

Sonoporation is applied to enhance the permeability of the cell to bioactive materials by employing the acoustic cavitation of microbubbles. This phenomena would be helpful in molecular biology, delivery of large molecules into the cells and gene therapy. Many methods have been applied to monitor the biological effects and trace of sonoporation on the cells such as scanning/transmission electron microscopy, confocal imaging and flow cytometry. Here, we monitored the effect of sonoporation on the cells using electrochemical method with an integrated three electrode system. Electrochemical responses of stimulated cells, compared to flow cytometry and electron microscopy results, presented different patterns of sonoporation in the cells detectable by cyclic voltammetry. In addition, confocal microscopy from actin stress fibers and young’s modulus measured by AFM revealed the correlation of cell mechanics and amount of induced sonopores in the cells. This method could be applied as a new trend in cellular mechanochemical studies.     

活细胞中的化学物理-光学观测和控制细胞内信号转导

Cells are crowded microenvironments filled with macromolecules undergoing constant physical and chemical interactions. The physicochemical makeup of the cells affects various cellular responses, determines cell-cell interactions and influences cell decisions. Chemical and physical properties differ between cells and within cells. Moreover, these properties are subject to dynamic changes in response to environmental signals, which often demand adjustments in the chemical or physical states of intracellular molecules. Indeed, cellular responses such as gene expression rely on the faithful relay of information from the outside to the inside of the cell, a process termed signal transduction. The signal often traverses a complex path across subcellular spaces with variable physical chemistry, sometimes even influencing it. Understanding the molecular states of such signaling molecules and their intracellular environments is vital to our understanding of the cell. Exploring such intricate spaces is possible today largely because of experimental and theoretical tools. Here, we focus on one tool that is commonly used in chemical physics studies-light. We summarize recent work which uses light to both visualize the cellular environment and also control intracellular processes along the axis of signal transduction. We highlight recent accomplishments in optical microscopy and optogenetics, an emerging experimental strategy which utilizes light to control the molecular processes in live cells. We believe that optogenetics lends unprecedented spatiotemporal precision to the manipulation of physicochemical properties in biological contexts. We hope to use this work to demonstrate new opportunities for chemical physicists who are interested in pursuing biological and biomedical questions.     

A correlative optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy approach to locating nanoparticles in brain tumors

The growing use of nanoparticles in biomedical applications, including cancer diagnosis and treatment, demands the capability to exactly locate them within complex biological systems. In this work a correlative optical and scanning electron microscopy technique was developed to locate and observe multi-modal gold core nanoparticle accumulation in brain tumor models. Entire brain sections from mice containing orthotopic brain tumors injected intravenously with nanoparticles were imaged using both optical microscopy to identify the brain tumor, and scanning electron microscopy to identify the individual nanoparticles. Gold-based nanoparticles were readily identified in the scanning electron microscope using backscattered electron imaging as bright spots against a darker background. This information was then correlated to determine the exact location of the nanoparticles within the brain tissue. The nanoparticles were located only in areas that contained tumor cells, and not in the surrounding healthy brain tissue. This correlative technique provides a powerful method to relate the macro- and micro-scale features visible in light microscopy with the nanoscale features resolvable in scanning electron microscopy.     

MISTRAL: a transmission soft X‐ray microscopy beamline for cryo nano‐tomography of biological samples and magnetic domains imaging

The performance of MISTRAL is reported, the soft X‐ray transmission microscopy beamline at the ALBA light source (Barcelona, Spain) which is primarily dedicated to cryo soft X‐ray tomography (cryo‐SXT) for three‐dimensional visualization of whole unstained cells at spatial resolutions down to 30 nm (half pitch). Short acquisition times allowing for high‐throughput and correlative microscopy studies have promoted cryo‐SXT as an emerging cellular imaging tool for structural cell biologists bridging the gap between optical and electron microscopy. In addition, the beamline offers the possibility of imaging magnetic domains in thin magnetic films that are illustrated here with an example.     

Chemical imaging of glucose by CARS microscopy

Glucose is one of the most fundamental molecules within life and bioengineering sciences. Present understanding of its role in cellular and bioengineering processes relies primarily on invasive, large‐scale biochemical analysis, providing no spatial information on glucose pools or fluxes. This work identifies an emerging microscopy technique based on coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), which fulfills the need of quantitative imaging of glucose at the single‐cell level with submicrometer resolution. No sample preparation with reporter molecules is required, ensuring that the low‐weight metabolite is studied under natural conditions. The potential of CARS microscopy is illustrated by quantitatively mapping glucose fluxes and distributions in a microfluidic bioreactor and in lipid‐bilayer vesicles, the latter as a model for glucose transmembrane transport. Furthermore, the metabolic response to a glucose pulse was monitored in living yeast cells. This study signifies a new era within CARS microscopy for its use of monitoring carbohydrates, in particular glucose which is one of the most abundant molecules in nature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metal–Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles for Correlative High‐Resolution Light and Electron Microscopy

The combination of fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy promises a deeper insight into the ultrastructural features of cell organelles, e.g., after drug administration. Both methods complement each other and provide, as a correlative approach, a keen insight into the fate of nanoparticles within the cell. Moreover, it represents a promising tool to determine alterations of the cellular environment as a response to particle uptake. However, the availability of suitable correlative markers is mandatory for such correlative approaches. In this contribution, the utilization of poly(ethylene imine) based metal–polymer hybrid particles labeled with small gold nanoparticles and Rhodamine B facilitating the observation of the particles by means of fluorescence as well as by transmission electron microscopy is suggested. Correlative light and electron microscopy is used to study uptake and intracellular fusion processes of endosomal/lysosomal structures.     

Tracing nanoparticles and photosensitizing molecules at transmission electron microscopy by diaminobenzidine photo-oxidation

During the last three decades, diaminobenzidine photo-oxidation has been applied in a variety of studies to correlate light and electron microscopy. Actually, when a fluorophore is excited by light, it can induce the oxidation of diaminobenzidine into an electron-dense osmiophilic product, which precipitates in close proximity to the fluorophore, thereby allowing its ultrastructural detection. This method has very recently been developed for two innovative applications: tracking the fate of fluorescently labeled nanoparticles in single cells, and detecting the subcellular location of photo-active molecules suitable for photodynamic therapy. These studies established that the cytochemical procedures exploiting diaminobenzidine photo-oxidation represent a reliable tool for detecting, inside the cells, with high sensitivity fluorescing molecules. These procedures are trustworthy even if the fluorescing molecules are present in very low amounts, either inside membrane-bounded organelles, or at the surface of the plasma membrane, or free in the cytosol. In particular, diaminobenzidine photo-oxidation allowed elucidating the mechanisms responsible for nanoparticles internalization in neuronal cells and for their escape from lysosomal degradation. As for the photo-active molecules, their subcellular distribution at the ultrastructural level provided direct evidence for the lethal multiorganelle photo-damage occurring after cell photo-sensitization. In addition, DAB photo-oxidized samples are suitable for the ultrastructural detection of organelle-specific molecules by post-embedding gold immunolabeling.     

Hybrid Rayleigh,Raman and two‐photon excited fluorescence spectral confocal microscopy of living cells

A hybrid fluorescence–Raman confocal microscopy platform is presented, which integrates low‐wavenumber‐resolution Raman imaging, Rayleigh scatter imaging and two‐photon fluorescence (TPE) spectral imaging, fast ‘amplitude‐only’ TPE‐fluorescence imaging and high‐spectral‐resolution Raman imaging. This multi‐dimensional fluorescence–Raman microscopy platform enables rapid imaging along the fluorescence emission and/or Rayleigh scatter dimensions. It is shown that optical contrast in these images can be used to select an area of interest prior to subsequent investigation with high spatially and spectrally resolved Raman imaging. This new microscopy platform combines the strengths of Raman ‘chemical’ imaging with light scattering microscopy and fluorescence microscopy and provides new modes of correlative light microscopy. Simultaneous acquisition of TPE hyperspectral fluorescence imaging and Raman imaging illustrates spatial relationships of fluorophores, water, lipid and protein in cells. The fluorescence–Raman microscope is demonstrated in an application to living human bone marrow stromal stem cells. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

用于大景深单分子定位显微的多功能全息相位片的设计及数值模拟

发展具有大轴向定位范围的单分子定位技术对于实现厚样品的超分辨成像具有重要的价值.基于波前编码技术,将变形多值纯相位光栅与双螺旋点扩散函数相位片相结合,提出一种可以通过空间光调制器实现的具有高衍射效率的新型全息相位片的设计方法.这种全息相位片可以将样品内多个层面的分子信息以双螺旋的形式成像在同一个探测面的不同位置,在无需扫描的情况下提高双螺旋点扩散函数工程的轴向定位范围和分辨率,解决活细胞内单分子定位和示踪技术中的大景深探测难题.数值模拟表明,设计的5×5全息相位片可以将样品内25个层面上的分子信息以双螺旋的形式成像在同一探测面上的不同位置,相邻两个层面的间隔为0.5μm,实现了轴向12μm的探测范围,证明了设计的可行性.     

Fine structural dynamics showing functional changes of anterior pituitary cells in the rat

The cell types in the rat anterior pituitary were classified according to the function of hormone produced by each type cells. Depending upon the age and sex of the rat studied, the fine structure of the cell remarkably differs from each other. The name of cell type indicates the name (abbreviation) of hormone produced by each type cell, which is also divided into two or three subtypes according to the ultrastructure or developing stage viz. immature, intermediate and mature types. The immunocytochemistry is a useful method both for light and electron microscopy in order to study the activity of every cell organelles, because it is easy to indicate the localization of hormones in the cell. The anterior pituitary hormones are all proteins or polypeptides fragmented from the former, and making antibodies of these hormones is rather easy. Significance of every cell organelles in the endocrine function was clarified.     

Interaction of doxorubicin with the subcellular structures of the sensitive and Bcl-xL-overexpressing MCF-7 cell line: Confocal and low-energy-loss transmission electron microscopy

The present investigation was directed to examine the interaction of the anti-cancer agent doxorubicin (DOX) with the subcellular compartments of the drug sensitive and Bcl-xL-overexpressing (Bcl-xL) MCF-7 cells using confocal and low-energy-loss transmission electron microscopy (LELTEM). Intracellular detection of DOX with LELTEM was carried out without specific antibodies or heavy metal stains but via the electron-induced molecular orbital excitation of the drug. Cells were incubated with 10 μM DOX for 1 min, 1, 24, and 48 h and then examined live by confocal microscope and as very thin sections in an electron microscope equipped with an energy filter having an energy resolution of 1 eV. Ultrastructural localization of DOX, obtained from pairs of images taken at energy losses of 3 ± 1 and 10 ± 1 eV, were analyzed and correlated with the confocal observations. When the sensitive and Bcl-xL cells were examined under the confocal microscope after 1 min, DOX uptake could not be detected in the nuclei nor in the cytoplasm whereas LELTEM observation revealed that at this stage of incubation the drug has already been incorporated by both cell types and that the nuclear membrane, nucleolus, and mitochondria of the Bcl-xL cells were temporally less DOX-responsive as compared to the sensitive cells. As the incubation time increased, nuclear membranes and nucleoli of both cell types appeared equally sensitive to DOX, nonetheless, mitochondria of the Bcl-xL cells remained invulnerable to DOX for 24 h. The results point to LELTEM feasibility to better characterize yet unresolved cellular events caused by DOX and suggest a transitory role for Bcl-xL overexpression in protecting the cellular compartments from DOX invasion.     

Caveolae and caveolin-1 in reptilian liver

Caveolae are plasma-membrane invaginations that, by interacting with membrane-associated molecules such as endothelial nitric oxide synthase and tyrosine kinases, precisely regulate cell-signalling pathways responsible for cell structure and cell function. Indeed, there is widespread evidence that caveolae associate, structurally and functionally, with proteins, lipids and solutes to facilitate transcellular transport of these macromolecules. Caveolin-1, one of the family of membrane proteins that form caveolae, is most prominently expressed in endothelial cells of the vascular bed. Therefore, we have applied advanced electron microscopy as well as molecular biology techniques to study the presence of caveolae and caveolin-1 in the liver sinusoidal endothelium of reptiles. Reptiles are known to store excess lipid in the liver as an energy source for hibernation, and so offer a useful animal model in which to assess the structural and functional implications these subcellular compartments might have on liver sinusoidal endothelial transport. This study demonstrates that caveolae are indeed conserved across vertebrate species, whether mammalian or reptilian. It also presents as first novel data on the presence of caveolin-1-associated, tubular structures located within the cytoplasm of the lizard liver sinusoidal endothelium.