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Nature Reviews. Neuroscience Feb 2020State-of-the-art tissue-clearing methods provide subcellular-level optical access to intact tissues from individual organs and even to some entire mammals. When combined... (Review)
Review
State-of-the-art tissue-clearing methods provide subcellular-level optical access to intact tissues from individual organs and even to some entire mammals. When combined with light-sheet microscopy and automated approaches to image analysis, existing tissue-clearing methods can speed up and may reduce the cost of conventional histology by several orders of magnitude. In addition, tissue-clearing chemistry allows whole-organ antibody labelling, which can be applied even to thick human tissues. By combining the most powerful labelling, clearing, imaging and data-analysis tools, scientists are extracting structural and functional cellular and subcellular information on complex mammalian bodies and large human specimens at an accelerated pace. The rapid generation of terabyte-scale imaging data furthermore creates a high demand for efficient computational approaches that tackle challenges in large-scale data analysis and management. In this Review, we discuss how tissue-clearing methods could provide an unbiased, system-level view of mammalian bodies and human specimens and discuss future opportunities for the use of these methods in human neuroscience.
Topics: Animals; Histological Techniques; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Mammals; Microscopy; Nervous System; Neurosciences
PubMed: 31896771
DOI: 10.1038/s41583-019-0250-1 -
Annual Review of Biophysics May 2023Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy allows the investigation of cellular structures at nanoscale resolution using light. Current developments in super-resolution... (Review)
Review
Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy allows the investigation of cellular structures at nanoscale resolution using light. Current developments in super-resolution microscopy have focused on reliable quantification of the underlying biological data. In this review, we first describe the basic principles of super-resolution microscopy techniques such as stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy and single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), and then give a broad overview of methodological developments to quantify super-resolution data, particularly those geared toward SMLM data. We cover commonly used techniques such as spatial point pattern analysis, colocalization, and protein copy number quantification but also describe more advanced techniques such as structural modeling, single-particle tracking, and biosensing. Finally, we provide an outlook on exciting new research directions to which quantitative super-resolution microscopy might be applied.
Topics: Single Molecule Imaging; Microscopy, Fluorescence
PubMed: 37159293
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-111622-091212 -
Cell Mar 2024To understand biological processes, it is necessary to reveal the molecular heterogeneity of cells by gaining access to the location and interaction of all biomolecules....
To understand biological processes, it is necessary to reveal the molecular heterogeneity of cells by gaining access to the location and interaction of all biomolecules. Significant advances were achieved by super-resolution microscopy, but such methods are still far from reaching the multiplexing capacity of proteomics. Here, we introduce secondary label-based unlimited multiplexed DNA-PAINT (SUM-PAINT), a high-throughput imaging method that is capable of achieving virtually unlimited multiplexing at better than 15 nm resolution. Using SUM-PAINT, we generated 30-plex single-molecule resolved datasets in neurons and adapted omics-inspired analysis for data exploration. This allowed us to reveal the complexity of synaptic heterogeneity, leading to the discovery of a distinct synapse type. We not only provide a resource for researchers, but also an integrated acquisition and analysis workflow for comprehensive spatial proteomics at single-protein resolution.
Topics: DNA; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Neurons; Proteins; Proteomics; Single Molecule Imaging
PubMed: 38552614
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.045 -
Chemical Reviews Oct 2021Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) has emerged as a versatile tool for studies of interfaces in biology and materials science with notable utility in biophysical... (Review)
Review
Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) has emerged as a versatile tool for studies of interfaces in biology and materials science with notable utility in biophysical and electrochemical measurements. The heart of the SICM is a nanometer-scale electrolyte filled glass pipette that serves as a scanning probe. In the initial conception, manipulations of ion currents through the tip of the pipette and appropriate positioning hardware provided a route to recording micro- and nanoscopic mapping of the topography of surfaces. Subsequent advances in instrumentation, probe design, and methods significantly increased opportunities for SICM beyond recording topography. Hybridization of SICM with coincident characterization techniques such as optical microscopy and faradaic electrodes have brought SICM to the forefront as a tool for nanoscale chemical measurement for a wide range of applications. Modern approaches to SICM realize an important tool in analytical, bioanalytical, biophysical, and materials measurements, where significant opportunities remain for further exploration. In this review, we chronicle the development of SICM from the perspective of both the development of instrumentation and methods and the breadth of measurements performed.
Topics: Electrodes; Electrolytes; Ions; Microscopy
PubMed: 33295182
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00962 -
Microscopy (Oxford, England) Jun 2023Microscopy has been essential to elucidate micro- and nano-scale processes in space and time and has provided insights into cell and organismic functions. It is widely...
Microscopy has been essential to elucidate micro- and nano-scale processes in space and time and has provided insights into cell and organismic functions. It is widely employed in cell biology, microbiology, physiology, clinical sciences and virology. While label-dependent microscopy, such as fluorescence microscopy, provides molecular specificity, it has remained difficult to multiplex in live samples. In contrast, label-free microscopy reports on overall features of the specimen at minimal perturbation. Here, we discuss modalities of label-free imaging at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels, including transmitted light microscopy, quantitative phase imaging, cryogenic electron microscopy or tomography and atomic force microscopy. We highlight how label-free microscopy is used to probe the structural organization and mechanical properties of viruses, including virus particles and infected cells across a wide range of spatial scales. We discuss the working principles of imaging procedures and analyses and showcase how they open new avenues in virology. Finally, we discuss orthogonal approaches that enhance and complement label-free microscopy techniques.
Topics: Humans; Virus Diseases; Viruses; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Microscopy, Electron; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Cryoelectron Microscopy
PubMed: 37079744
DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfad024 -
Annual Review of Biochemistry Jun 2022Accurate protein synthesis (translation) relies on translation factors that rectify ribosome fluctuations into a unidirectional process. Understanding this process... (Review)
Review
Accurate protein synthesis (translation) relies on translation factors that rectify ribosome fluctuations into a unidirectional process. Understanding this process requires structural characterization of the ribosome and translation-factor dynamics. In the 2000s, crystallographic studies determined high-resolution structures of ribosomes stalled with translation factors, providing a starting point for visualizing translation. Recent progress in single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enabled near-atomic resolution of numerous structures sampled in heterogeneous complexes (ensembles). Ensemble and time-resolved cryo-EM have now revealed unprecedented views of ribosome transitions in the three principal stages of translation: initiation, elongation, and termination. This review focuses on how translation factors help achieve high accuracy and efficiency of translation by monitoring distinct ribosome conformations and by differentially shifting the equilibria of ribosome rearrangements for cognate and near-cognate substrates.
Topics: Cryoelectron Microscopy; Ribosomes; Single Molecule Imaging
PubMed: 35287473
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-071921-122857 -
Genes Jun 2019Since the advent of super-resolution microscopy, countless approaches and studies have been published contributing significantly to our understanding of cellular... (Review)
Review
Since the advent of super-resolution microscopy, countless approaches and studies have been published contributing significantly to our understanding of cellular processes. With the aid of chromatin-specific fluorescence labeling techniques, we are gaining increasing insight into gene regulation and chromatin organization. Combined with super-resolution imaging and data analysis, these labeling techniques enable direct assessment not only of chromatin interactions but also of the function of specific chromatin conformational states.
Topics: Chromatin; Deep Learning; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Single Molecule Imaging
PubMed: 31261775
DOI: 10.3390/genes10070493 -
Current Opinion in Structural Biology Aug 2023Super-resolution microscopy is a series of imaging techniques that bypass the diffraction limit of resolution. Since the 1990s, optical approaches, such as... (Review)
Review
Super-resolution microscopy is a series of imaging techniques that bypass the diffraction limit of resolution. Since the 1990s, optical approaches, such as single-molecular localization microscopy, have allowed us to visualize biological samples from the sub-organelle to the molecular level. Recently, a chemical approach called expansion microscopy emerged as a new trend in super-resolution microscopy. It physically enlarges cells and tissues, which leads to an increase in the effective resolution of any microscope by the length expansion factor. Compared with optical approaches, expansion microscopy has a lower cost and higher imaging depth but requires a more complex procedure. The integration of expansion microscopy and advanced microscopes significantly pushed forward the boundary of super-resolution microscopy. This review covers the current state of the art in expansion microscopy, including the latest methods and their applications, as well as challenges and opportunities for future research.
Topics: Microscopy, Fluorescence; Single Molecule Imaging
PubMed: 37253290
DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102614 -
Trends in Biotechnology Feb 2020The spatial distribution of molecules and cells is fundamental to understanding biological systems. Traditionally, microscopies based on electromagnetic waves such as... (Review)
Review
The spatial distribution of molecules and cells is fundamental to understanding biological systems. Traditionally, microscopies based on electromagnetic waves such as visible light have been used to localize cellular components by direct visualization. However, these techniques suffer from limitations of transmissibility and throughput. Complementary to optical approaches, biochemical techniques such as crosslinking can colocalize molecules without suffering the same limitations. However, biochemical approaches are often unable to combine individual colocalizations into a map across entire cells or tissues. Microscopy-by-sequencing techniques aim to biochemically colocalize DNA-barcoded molecules and, by tracking their thus unique identities, reconcile all colocalizations into a global spatial map. Here, we review this new field and discuss its enormous potential to answer a broad spectrum of questions.
Topics: DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Microscopy; Molecular Imaging
PubMed: 31416630
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.06.001 -
Plant Physiology Apr 2020Understanding the distribution of elements in plants is important for researchers across a broad range of fields, including plant molecular biology, agronomy, plant... (Review)
Review
Understanding the distribution of elements in plants is important for researchers across a broad range of fields, including plant molecular biology, agronomy, plant physiology, plant nutrition, and ionomics. However, it is often challenging to evaluate the applicability of the wide range of techniques available, with each having its own strengths and limitations. Here, we compare scanning/transmission electron microscopy-based energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence microscopy, particle-induced x-ray emission, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectroscopy, autoradiography, and confocal microscopy with fluorophores. For these various techniques, we compare their accessibility, their ability to analyze hydrated tissues (without sample preparation) and suitability for in vivo analyses, as well as examining their most important analytical merits, such as resolution, sensitivity, depth of analysis, and the range of elements that can be analyzed. We hope that this information will assist other researchers to select, access, and evaluate the approach that is most useful in their particular research program or application.
Topics: Mass Spectrometry; Microscopy, Confocal; Microscopy, Electron; Plants; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
PubMed: 31974126
DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.01306