Precise and economic FIB/SEM for CLEM: with 2 nm voxels through mitosis

Array tomography of in vivo labeled synaptic receptors

Array tomography (AT) allows one to localize sub-cellular components within the structural context of cells in 3D through the imaging of serial sections. Using this technique, the z-resolution can be improved physically by cutting ultra-thin sections. Nevertheless, conventional immunofluorescence staining of those sections is time consuming and requires relatively large amounts of costly antibody solutions. Moreover, epitopes are only readily accessible at the section's surface, leaving the volume of the serial sections unlabeled. Localization of receptors at neuronal synapses in 3D in their native cellular ultrastructural context is important for understanding signaling processes. Here, we present in vivo labeling of receptors via fluorophore-coupled tags in combination with super-resolution AT. We present two workflows where we label receptors at the plasma membrane: first, in vivo labeling via microinjection with a setup consisting of readily available components and self-manufactured microscope table equipment and second, live receptor labeling by using a cell-permeable tag. To take advantage of a near-to-native preservation of tissues for subsequent scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we also apply high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution. The advantages and disadvantages of our workflows are discussed.

Neurons on tape: Automated Tape Collecting Ultramicrotomy-mediated volume EM for targeting neuropathology

In this chapter, we review Automated Tape Collecting Ultramicrotomy (ATUM), which, among other array tomography methods, substantially simplified large-scale volume electron microscopy (vEM) projects. vEM reveals biological structures at nanometer resolution in three dimensions and resolves ambiguities of two-dimensional representations. However, as the structures of interest-like disease hallmarks emerging from neuropathology-are often rare but the field of view is small, this can easily turn a vEM project into a needle in a haystack problem. One solution for this is correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM), providing tissue context, dynamic and molecular features before switching to targeted vEM to hone in on the object's ultrastructure. This requires precise coordinate transfer between the two imaging modalities (e.g., by micro computed tomography), especially for block face vEM which relies on physical destruction of sections. With array tomography methods, serial ultrathin sections are collected into a tissue library, thus allowing storage of precious samples like human biopsies and enabling repetitive imaging at different resolution levels for an SEM-based search strategy. For this, ATUM has been developed to reliably collect serial ultrathin sections via a conveyor belt onto a plastic tape that is later mounted onto silicon wafers for serial scanning EM (SEM). The ATUM-SEM procedure is highly modular and can be divided into sample preparation, serial ultramicrotomy onto tape, mounting, serial image acquisition-after which the acquired image stacks can be used for analysis. Here, we describe the steps of this workflow and how ATUM-SEM enables targeting and high resolution imaging of specific structures. ATUM-SEM is widely applicable. To illustrate this, we exemplify the approach by reconstructions of focal pathology in an Alzheimer mouse model and CLEM of a specific cortical synapse.

CLEMSite, a software for automated phenotypic screens using light microscopy and FIB-SEM

In recent years, Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) has emerged as a flexible method that enables semi-automated volume ultrastructural imaging. We present a toolset for adherent cells that enables tracking and finding cells, previously identified in light microscopy (LM), in the FIB-SEM, along with the automatic acquisition of high-resolution volume datasets. We detect the underlying grid pattern in both modalities (LM and EM), to identify common reference points. A combination of computer vision techniques enables complete automation of the workflow. This includes setting the coincidence point of both ion and electron beams, automated evaluation of the image quality and constantly tracking the sample position with the microscope's field of view reducing or even eliminating operator supervision. We show the ability to target the regions of interest in EM within 5 µm accuracy while iterating between different targets and implementing unattended data acquisition. Our results demonstrate that executing volume acquisition in multiple locations autonomously is possible in EM.

Evidence of a role for cAMP in mitochondrial regulation in ovarian granulosa cells

In the ovary, proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells (GCs) drive follicular growth. Our immunohistochemical study in a non-human primate, the Rhesus monkey, showed that the mitochondrial activity marker protein cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 (COX4) increases in GCs in parallel to follicle size, and furthermore, its intracellular localization changes. This suggested that there is mitochondrial biogenesis and trafficking, and implicates the actions of gonadotropins, which regulate follicular growth and ovulation. Human KGN cells, i.e. granulosa tumour cells, were therefore used to study these possibilities. To robustly elevate cAMP, and thereby mimic the actions of gonadotropins, we used forskolin (FSK). FSK increased the cell size and the amount of mitochondrial DNA of KGN cells within 24 h. As revealed by MitoTracker™ experiments and ultrastructural 3D reconstruction, FSK treatment induced the formation of elaborate mitochondrial networks. H89, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, reduced the network formation. A proteomic analysis indicated that FSK elevated the levels of regulators of the cytoskeleton, among others (data available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD032160). The steroidogenic enzyme CYP11A1 (Cytochrome P450 Family 11 Subfamily A Member 1), located in mitochondria, was more than 3-fold increased by FSK, implying that the cAMP/PKA-associated structural changes occur in parallel with the acquisition of steroidogenic competence of mitochondria in KGN cells. In summary, the observations show increases in mitochondria and suggest intracellular trafficking of mitochondria in GCs during follicular growth, and indicate that they may partially be under the control of gonadotropins and cAMP. In line with this, increased cAMP in KGN cells profoundly affected mitochondrial dynamics in a PKA-dependent manner and implicated cytoskeletal changes.

Changes in Envelope Structure and Cell–Cell Communication during Akinete Differentiation and Germination in Filamentous Cyanobacterium Trichormus variabilis ATCC 29413

Planktonic freshwater filamentous cyanobacterium Trichormus variabilis ATCC 29413 (previously known as Anabaena variabilis) can differentiate heterocysts and akinetes to survive under different stress conditions. Whilst heterocysts enable diazotrophic growth, akinetes are spore-like resting cells that make the survival of the species possible under adverse growth conditions. Under suitable environmental conditions, they germinate to produce new vegetative filaments. Several morphological and physiological changes occur during akinete formation and germination. Here, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we found that the mature akinetes had a wrinkled envelope, and the surface of the envelope smoothened as the cell size increased during germination. Thereupon, the akinete envelope ruptured to release the short emerging filament. Focused ion beam–scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) tomography of immature akinetes revealed the presence of cytoplasmic granules, presumably consisting of cyanophycin or glycogen. In addition, the akinete envelope architecture of different layers, the exopolysaccharide and glycolipid layers, could be visualized. We found that this multilayered envelope helped to withstand osmotic stress and to maintain the structural integrity. Furthermore, by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements, using the fluorescent tracer calcein, we found that intercellular communication decreased during akinete formation as compared with the vegetative cells. In contrast, freshly germinating filaments restored cell communication.

An RNAi screen for genes that affect nuclear morphology in Caenorhabditis elegans reveals the involvement of unexpected processes

Aberration in nuclear morphology is one of the hallmarks of cellular transformation. However, the processes that, when mis-regulated, result aberrant nuclear morphology are poorly understood. In this study, we carried out a systematic, high-throughput RNAi screen for genes that affect nuclear morphology in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. The screen employed over 1700 RNAi constructs against genes required for embryonic viability. Nuclei of early embryos are typically spherical, and their NPCs are evenly distributed. The screen was performed on early embryos expressing a fluorescently tagged component of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), allowing visualization of nuclear shape as well as the distribution of NPCs around the nuclear envelope. Our screen uncovered 182 genes whose downregulation resulted in one or more abnormal nuclear phenotypes, including multiple nuclei, micronuclei, abnormal nuclear shape, anaphase bridges, and abnormal NPC distribution. Many of these genes fall into common functional groups, including some that were not previously known to affect nuclear morphology, such as genes involved in mitochondrial function, the vacuolar ATPase, and the CCT chaperonin complex. The results of this screen add to our growing knowledge of processes that affect nuclear morphology and that may be altered in cancer cells that exhibit abnormal nuclear shape.

Inheritance of the reduced mitochondria of Giardia intestinalis is coupled to the flagellar maturation cycle

Background

The presence of mitochondria is a distinguishing feature between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. It is currently accepted that the evolutionary origin of mitochondria coincided with the formation of eukaryotes and from that point control of mitochondrial inheritance was required. Yet, the way the mitochondrial presence has been maintained throughout the eukaryotic cell cycle remains a matter of study. Eukaryotes control mitochondrial inheritance mainly due to the presence of the genetic component; still only little is known about the segregation of mitochondria to daughter cells during cell division. Additionally, anaerobic eukaryotic microbes evolved a variety of genomeless mitochondria-related organelles (MROs), which could be theoretically assembled de novo, providing a distinct mechanistic basis for maintenance of stable mitochondrial numbers. Here, we approach this problem by studying the structure and inheritance of the protist Giardia intestinalis MROs known as mitosomes.

Results

We combined 2D stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) to show that mitosomes exhibit internal segmentation and conserved asymmetric structure. From a total of about forty mitosomes, a small, privileged population is harnessed to the flagellar apparatus, and their life cycle is coordinated with the maturation cycle of G. intestinalis flagella. The orchestration of mitosomal inheritance with the flagellar maturation cycle is mediated by a microtubular connecting fiber, which physically links the privileged mitosomes to both axonemes of the oldest flagella pair and guarantees faithful segregation of the mitosomes into the daughter cells.

Conclusion

Inheritance of privileged Giardia mitosomes is coupled to the flagellar maturation cycle. We propose that the flagellar system controls segregation of mitochondrial organelles also in other members of this supergroup (Metamonada) of eukaryotes and perhaps reflects the original strategy of early eukaryotic cells to maintain this key organelle before mitochondrial fusion-fission dynamics cycle as observed in Metazoa was established.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01129-7.

New Insights Into Sperm Ultrastructure Through Enhanced Scanning Electron Microscopy

The analysis of spermatozoa morphology is fundamental to understand male fertility and the etiology of infertility. Traditionally scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to define surface topology. Recently, however, it has become a critical tool for three-dimensional analysis of internal cellular ultrastructure. Modern SEM provides nanometer-scale resolution, but the meaningfulness of such information is proportional to the quality of the sample preservation. In this study, we demonstrate that sperm quickly and robustly adhere to gold-coated surfaces. Leveraging this property, we developed three step-by-step protocols fulfilling different needs for sperm imaging: chemically fixed monolayers for SEM examination of the external morphology, and two high-pressure freezing-based protocols for fast SEM examination of full cell internal morphology and focused ion-beam SEM tomography. These analyses allow previously unappreciated insights into mouse sperm ultrastructure, including the identification of novel structures within the fibrous sheath and domain-specific interactions between the plasma membrane and exosome-like structures.

Fluorescent platinum nanoclusters as correlative light electron microscopy probes

Correlative Imaging (CI) visualizes a single sample/region of interest with two or more imaging modalities. The technique seeks to elucidate information that may not be discernible by using either of the constituent techniques in isolation. Correlative Light Electron Microscopy (CLEM) can be employed to streamline workflows, i.e., using fluorescent signals in the light microscope (LM) to inform the user of regions which should be imaged with electron microscopy (EM). The efficacy of correlative techniques requires high spatial resolution of signals from both imaging modalities. Ideally, a single point should originate from both the fluorescence and electron density. However, many of the ubiquitously used probes have a significant distance between their fluorescence and electron dense portions. Furthermore, electron dense metal nanoparticles used for EM visualization readily quench any proximal adjacent fluorophores. Therefore, accurate registration of both signals becomes difficult. Here we describe fluorescent nanoclusters in the context of a CLEM probe as they are composed of several atoms of a noble metal, in this case platinum, providing electron density. In addition, their structure confers them with fluorescence via a mechanism analogous to quantum dots. The electron dense core gives rise to the fluorescence which enables highly accurate signal registration between epifluorescence and electron imaging modalities. We provide a protocol for the synthesis of the nanoclusters with some additional techniques for their characterization and finally show how they can be used in a CLEM set up.

FIB-SEM-based analysis of Borrelia intracellular processing by human macrophages

Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease, a multisystemic disorder affecting primarily skin, joints and nervous system. Successful internalization and intracellular processing of borreliae by immune cells, like macrophages, is decisive for the outcome of a respective infection. Here, we use, for the first time, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy tomography (FIB-SEM tomography) to visualize the interaction of borreliae with primary human macrophages with high resolution. We report that interaction between macrophages and the elongated and highly motile borreliae can lead to formation of membrane tunnels that extend deeper into the host cytoplasm than the actual phagosome, most probably as a result of partial extrication of captured borreliae. We also show that membrane tubulation at borreliae-containing phagosomes, a process suggested earlier as a mechanism leading to phagosome compaction but hard to visualize in live-cell imaging, is apparently a frequent phenomenon. Finally, we demonstrate that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms multiple STIM1-positive contact sites with both membrane tunnels and phagosome tubulations, confirming the important role of the ER during uptake and intracellular processing of borreliae.

C. elegans pronuclei fuse after fertilization through a novel membrane structure

After fertilization, parental genomes are enclosed in two separate pronuclei. In Caenorhabditis elegans, and possibly other organisms, when the two pronuclei first meet, the parental genomes are separated by four pronuclear membranes. To understand how these membranes are breached to allow merging of parental genomes we used focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) to study the architecture of the pronuclear membranes at nanometer-scale resolution. We find that at metaphase, the interface between the two pronuclei is composed of two membranes perforated by fenestrations ranging from tens of nanometers to several microns in diameter. The parental chromosomes come in contact through one of the large fenestrations. Surrounding this fenestrated, two-membrane region is a novel membrane structure, a three-way sheet junction, where the four membranes of the two pronuclei fuse and become two. In the plk-1 mutant, where parental genomes fail to merge, these junctions are absent, suggesting that three-way sheet junctions are needed for formation of a diploid genome.

Insights into replicative senescence of human testicular peritubular cells

There is evidence for an age-related decline in male reproductive functions, yet how the human testis may age is not understood. Human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs) transport sperm, contribute to the spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) niche and immune surveillance, and can be isolated and studied in vitro. Consequences of replicative senescence of HTPCs were evaluated to gain partial insights into human testicular aging. To this end, early and advanced HTPC passages, in which replicative senescence was indicated by increased cell size, altered nuclear morphology, enhanced β-galactosidase activity, telomere attrition and reduced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), were compared. These alterations are typical for senescent cells, in general. To examine HTPC-specific changes, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) tomography was employed, which revealed a reduced mitochondrial network and an increased lysosome population. The results coincide with the data of a parallel proteomic analysis and indicate deranged proteostasis. The mRNA levels of typical contractility markers and growth factors, important for the SSC niche, were not significantly altered. A secretome analysis identified, however, elevated levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), which may play a role in spermatogenesis. Testicular DPP4 may further represent a possible drug target.

Gold-substituted Silver-intensified Peroxidase Immunolabeling for FIB-SEM Imaging

Modern electron microscopy offers a wide variety of tools to investigate the ultrastructural organization of cells and tissues and to accurately pinpoint intracellular localizations of macromolecules of interest. New volumetric electron microscopy techniques and new instrumentation provide unique opportunities for high-throughput analysis of comparatively large volumes of tissue and their complete reconstitution in three-dimensional (3D) electron microscopy. However, due to a variety of technical issues such as the limited penetration of label into the tissue, low antigen preservation, substantial electron density of secondary detection reagents, and many others, the adaptation of immuno-detection techniques for use with such 3D imaging methods as focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) has been challenging. Here, we describe a sample preparation method for 3D FIB-SEM, which results in an optimal preservation and staining of ultrastructural details at a resolution necessary for tracing immunolabeled neuronal structures and detailed reconstruction of synapses. This technique is applicable to neuronal and non-neuronal cells, tissues, and a wide variety of antigens.

From Light Microscopy to Analytical Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/SEM in Biology: Fixed Coordinates, Flat Embedding, Absolute References

Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) has been in use for several years, however it has remained a costly method with difficult sample preparation. Here, we report a series of technical improvements developed for precise and cost-effective correlative light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB)/SEM microscopy of single cells, as well as large tissue sections. Customized coordinate systems for both slides and coverslips were established for thin and ultra-thin embedding of a wide range of biological specimens. Immobilization of biological samples was examined with a variety of adhesives. For histological sections, a filter system for flat embedding was developed. We validated ultra-thin embedding on laser marked slides for efficient, high-resolution CLEM. Target cells can be re-located within minutes in SEM without protracted searching and correlative investigations were reduced to a minimum of preparation steps, while still reaching highest resolution. The FIB/SEM milling procedure is facilitated and significantly accelerated as: (i) milling a ramp becomes needless, (ii) significant re-deposition of milled material does not occur; and (iii) charging effects are markedly reduced. By optimizing all technical parameters FIB/SEM stacks with 2 nm iso-voxels were achieved over thousands of sections, in a wide range of biological samples.