Adaptation of Cryo‐Sectioning for IEM Labeling of Asymmetric Samples: A Study Using Caenorhabditis elegans

Cryo‐sectioning procedures, initially developed by Tokuyasu, have been successfully improved for tissues and cultured cells, enabling efficient protein localization on the ultrastructural level. Without a standard procedure applicable to any sample, currently existing protocols must be individually modified for each model organism or asymmetric sample. Here, we describe our method that enables reproducible cryo‐sectioning of Caenorhabditis elegans larvae/adults and embryos. We have established a chemical‐fixation procedure in which flat embedding considerably simplifies manipulation and lateral orientation of larvae or adults. To bypass the limitations of chemical fixation, we have improved the hybrid cryo‐immobilization–rehydration technique and reduced the overall time required to complete this procedure. Using our procedures, precise cryo‐sectioning orientation can be combined with good ultrastructural preservation and efficient immuno‐electron microscopy protein localization. Also, GFP fluorescence can be efficiently preserved, permitting a direct correlation of the fluorescent signal and its subcellular localization. Although developed for C. elegans samples, our method addresses the challenge of working with small asymmetric samples in general, and thus could be used to improve the efficiency of immuno‐electron localization in other model organisms.      

Comparison of Vibratome and Compresstome sectioning of fresh primate lymphoid and genital tissues for in situ MHC-tetramer and immunofluorescence staining

Background

For decades, the Vibratome served as a standard laboratory resource for sectioning fresh and fixed tissues. In skilled hands, high quality and consistent fresh unfixed tissue sections can be produced using a Vibratome but the sectioning procedure is extremely time consuming. In this study, we conducted a systematic comparison between the Vibratome and a new approach to section fresh unfixed tissues using a Compresstome. We used a Vibratome and a Compresstome to cut fresh unfixed lymphoid and genital non-human primate tissues then used in situ tetramer staining to label virus-specific CD8 T cells and immunofluorescent counter-staining to label B and T cells. We compared the Vibratome and Compresstome in five different sectioning parameters: speed of cutting, chilling capability, specimen stabilization, size of section, and section/staining quality.

Results

Overall, the Compresstome and Vibratome both produced high quality sections from unfixed spleen, lymph node, vagina, cervix, and uterus, and subsequent immunofluorescent staining was equivalent. The Compresstome however, offered distinct advantages; producing sections approximately 5 times faster than the Vibratome, cutting tissue sections more easily, and allowing production of larger sections.

Conclusions

A Compresstome can be used to generate fresh unfixed primate lymph node, spleen, vagina, cervix and uterus sections, and is superior to a Vibratome in cutting these fresh tissues.     

Double Embedding Broad Thin Leaves in Paraffin

Paraffin pellets were melted in 24 × 24 × 5 mm stainless steel base molds. Specimens of leaves, 18 × 18 mm, were fixed, dehydrated and infiltrated with paraffin. Two specimens were transferred into molten paraffin on their laminar surfaces in a base mold and moved quickly onto a cold surface to cast them in a shallow block of paraffin. Each block was then scored with a razor blade, broken into two primary blocks, and trimmed to 20 × 9 mm with 5 mm flat edges. Each primary block was immersed upright on its long edge in a 22 × 22 × 20 mm Peel-A-Way® embedding mold containing molten paraffin. The leaf edge was held centrally in the mold while moving the double embedment onto a cold surface. In this secondary block, the leaf specimen stood perpendicular to the sectioning surface in perfect orientation for transverse ribbon sectioning. The two phases of paraffin bonded well.     

介绍一种半薄切片定位样品的方法

介绍了一种半薄切片定位样品的方法。此法与前人的方法不同之处在于位于载玻片之上被重新包埋于塑料环内的切片与载玻片的分离真人处步骤是“切片被包埋聚合好后,立即从６０￣６５℃温箱内被转入冰箱冷冻室中（－１８℃）放置５￣１０分钟。然后,将载玻征从冷冻室中取出,轻推塑料环,即可使包埋在塑料环内的切片与载玻片分离。这一方法成功地解决了样品中靶细胞的发育时期确定和样品丢失问题。而且还有简单、易操作和成功率高等优     

荞麦胚和胚乳的发育及贮藏营养物质的积累

荞麦原胚期,胚乳为游离核期。球形胚晚期,胚乳开始细胞化。心形胚期,胚囊中部形成一层“开放细胞”。鱼雷形胚期,胚囊中部有５－７层胚乳细胞。子叶弯曲胚期,胚乳全部形成胚乳细胞,具传递细胞特征的合点胚乳吸器形成。胚乳细胞的初始垂周壁来自于自由生长壁和胞质分裂形成的细胞板;初始平周壁由自由生长垂周壁分友相接形成,及有丝分裂的细胞板形成。开花后９ｄ,胚乳细胞积累淀粉,比胚细胞积累早６ｄ。开花后１５ｄ,胚乳最     

Applying Multiphoton Imaging to the Study of Membrane Dynamics in Living Cells

The endomembrane system of a cell is a highly dynamic, ephemeral structure that is difficult to visualize. Reconstructions from sections of fixed material can provide high-resolution information on intercellular membrane architecture, but such techniques are fraught with artifacts and are of little help in understanding the dynamics of intracellular membrane traffic. Recently, the availability of fluorescent membrane probes and the development of techniques for optically sectioning intact specimens have allowed glimpses of membrane dynamics to be visualized in living tissue. In this review we discuss the potential of a new optical sectioning technique, multiphoton imaging, for visualizing membrane dynamics in living cells. Multiphoton microscopy offers an unparalleled ability to obtain images from deep within specimens while minimizing the effects of phototoxicity.     

Quadrature demodulation in line‐scan focal modulation microscopy for imaging three‐dimensional zebrafish neural structure

Visualizing biological processes in neuroscience requires in vivo functional imaging at single‐neuron resolution, high image acquisition speed and strong optical sectioning ability. However, due to light scattering of in tissue, very often conventional wide‐field fluorescence microscopes are unable to resolve cells in the presence of a strong out‐of‐focus background. Line‐scan focal modulation microscopy enables high temporal resolution and good optical sectioning ability at the same time. Here we demonstrate a quadrature demodulation method to extract the focal information with an extended frequency bandwidth and therefore higher spatial resolution. The performance of the demodulation scheme in line‐scan focal modulation microscope has been evaluated by performing imaging experiments with fluorescence beads and zebrafish neural structure. Reduced background, reduced artifacts and more detailed morphological information are evident in the obtained images.      

激光扫描共聚焦显微镜在医学研究中的应用

激光扫描共聚焦显微镜（Confocal laser scanning microscope,CLSM）具有高分辨率、高灵敏度、三维重建、动态分析等优点,使图像更为精确清晰和数字化。该仪器现已广泛应用于细胞生物学、生理学、病理学、遗传学和药理学等研究领域中。本文简述了激光扫描共聚焦显微镜的结构、工作原理并归纳了其在医学各领域研究中的应用。     

Multiple stimulation-dependent processes regulate the size of the releasable pool of vesicles

In neuroendocrine cells and neurones, changes in the size of a limited pool of readily releasable vesicles contribute to the plasticity of secretion. We have studied the dynamic alterations in the size of a near-membrane pool of vesicles in living neuroendocrine cells. Using evanescent wave microscopy we monitored the behaviour of individual secretory vesicles at the plasma membrane. Vesicles undergo sequential transitions between several states of differing fluorescence intensity and mobility. The transitions are reversible, except for the fusion step, and even in nonstimulated conditions the vesicles change states in a dynamic equilibrium. Stimulation selectively speeds up the three forward transitions leading towards exocytosis. Vesicles lose mobility in all three dimensions upon approach of the plasma membrane. Their movement is directed and targeted to the docking fusion sites. Sites of vesicle docking and exocytosis are distributed non-uniformly over the studied “footprint” region of the cell. While some areas are the sites of repeated vesicle docking and fusion, others are completely devoid of spots. Vesicular mobility at the membrane is confined, as if the vesicle were imprisoned in a cage or tethered to a binding site. Received: 10 August 1998 / Revised version: 24 September 1998 / Accepted: 24 September 1998