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Tsang TK, Bushong EA, Boassa D, Hu J, Romoli B, Phan S, Dulcis D, Su CY, Ellisman MH. High-quality ultrastructural preservation using cryofixation for 3D electron microscopy of genetically labeled tissues. eLife 2018; 7:35524. [PMID: 29749931 PMCID: PMC5988420 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Electron microscopy (EM) offers unparalleled power to study cell substructures at the nanoscale. Cryofixation by high-pressure freezing offers optimal morphological preservation, as it captures cellular structures instantaneously in their near-native state. However, the applicability of cryofixation is limited by its incompatibility with diaminobenzidine labeling using genetic EM tags and the high-contrast en bloc staining required for serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBEM). In addition, it is challenging to perform correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM) with cryofixed samples. Consequently, these powerful methods cannot be applied to address questions requiring optimal morphological preservation. Here, we developed an approach that overcomes these limitations; it enables genetically labeled, cryofixed samples to be characterized with SBEM and 3D CLEM. Our approach is broadly applicable, as demonstrated in cultured cells, Drosophila olfactory organ and mouse brain. This optimization exploits the potential of cryofixation, allowing for quality ultrastructural preservation for diverse EM applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tin Ki Tsang
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Eric A Bushong
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Daniela Boassa
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Junru Hu
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Benedetto Romoli
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Sebastien Phan
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Davide Dulcis
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Chih-Ying Su
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Mark H Ellisman
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States.,Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
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