How to apply the broad toolbox of correlative light and electron microscopy to address a specific biological question

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributed

Contributors

Abstract

Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) is an approach that combines the strength of multiple imaging techniques to obtain complementary information about a given specimen. The "toolbox" for CLEM is broad, making it sometimes difficult to choose an appropriate approach for a given biological question. In this chapter, we provide experimental details for three CLEM approaches that can help the interested reader in designing a personalized CLEM strategy for obtaining ultrastructural data by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). First, we describe chemical fixation of cells grown on a solid support (broadest approach). Second, we apply high-pressure freezing/freeze substitution to describe cellular ultrastructure (cryo-immobilization approach). Third, we give a protocol for a ultrastructural labeling by immuno-electron microscopy (immuno-EM approach). In addition, we also describe how to overlay fluorescence and electron microscopy images, an approach that is applicable to each of the reported different CLEM strategies. Here we provide step-by step descriptions prior to discussing possible technical problems and variations of these three general schemes to suit different models or different biological questions. This chapter is written for electron microscopists that are new to CLEM and unsure how to begin. Therefore, our protocols are meant to provide basic information with further references that should help the reader get started with applying a tailored strategy for a specific CLEM experiment.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-41
Number of pages41
JournalMethods in cell biology
Volume187
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2024
Peer-reviewedNo

External IDs

Scopus 85188814285
Mendeley e58fe5a4-e888-302a-b000-4ad7444c99a1
ORCID /0000-0001-5624-1717/work/160951899
ORCID /0000-0003-3017-0978/work/160953461

Keywords

Keywords

  • Humans, Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/methods, Animals, Cryoelectron Microscopy/methods, Microscopy, Electron/methods, Microscopy, Immunoelectron/methods, Microscopy, Fluorescence/methods, Freeze Substitution/methods