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Cremer C, Schock F, Failla AV, Birk U. Modulated illumination microscopy: Application perspectives in nuclear nanostructure analysis. J Microsc 2024. [PMID: 38618985 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The structure of the cell nucleus of higher organisms has become a major topic of advanced light microscopy. So far, a variety of methods have been applied, including confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy, 4Pi, STED and localisation microscopy approaches, as well as different types of patterned illumination microscopy, modulated either laterally (in the object plane) or axially (along the optical axis). Based on our experience, we discuss here some application perspectives of Modulated Illumination Microscopy (MIM) and its combination with single-molecule localisation microscopy (SMLM). For example, spatially modulated illumination microscopy/SMI (illumination modulation along the optical axis) has been used to determine the axial extension (size) of small, optically isolated fluorescent objects between ≤ 200 nm and ≥ 40 nm diameter with a precision down to the few nm range; it also allows the axial positioning of such structures down to the 1 nm scale; combined with laterally structured illumination/SIM, a 3D localisation precision of ≤1 nm is expected using fluorescence yields typical for SMLM applications. Together with the nanosizing capability of SMI, this can be used to analyse macromolecular nuclear complexes with a resolution approaching that of cryoelectron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Cremer
- Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP), Heidelberg, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Scientific Computing (IWR), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian Schock
- Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio Virgilio Failla
- UKE Microscopy Imaging Facility, University Medical Centre Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Udo Birk
- Institute for Photonics and Robotics (IPR), Department of Applied Future Technologies, University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons (FH Graubünden), Chur, Switzerland
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Birk UJ. Super-Resolution Microscopy of Chromatin. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E493. [PMID: 31261775 PMCID: PMC6678334 DOI: 10.3390/genes10070493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udo J Birk
- University of Applied Sciences HTW Chur, Pulvermühlestrasse 57, 7004 Chur, Switzerland.
- Institut für Physik, Universität Mainz, 55122 Mainz, Germany.
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Cremer C, Szczurek A, Schock F, Gourram A, Birk U. Super-resolution microscopy approaches to nuclear nanostructure imaging. Methods 2017; 123:11-32. [PMID: 28390838 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The human genome has been decoded, but we are still far from understanding the regulation of all gene activities. A largely unexplained role in these regulatory mechanisms is played by the spatial organization of the genome in the cell nucleus which has far-reaching functional consequences for gene regulation. Until recently, it appeared to be impossible to study this problem on the nanoscale by light microscopy. However, novel developments in optical imaging technology have radically surpassed the limited resolution of conventional far-field fluorescence microscopy (ca. 200nm). After a brief review of available super-resolution microscopy (SRM) methods, we focus on a specific SRM approach to study nuclear genome structure at the single cell/single molecule level, Spectral Precision Distance/Position Determination Microscopy (SPDM). SPDM, a variant of localization microscopy, makes use of conventional fluorescent proteins or single standard organic fluorophores in combination with standard (or only slightly modified) specimen preparation conditions; in its actual realization mode, the same laser frequency can be used for both photoswitching and fluorescence read out. Presently, the SPDM method allows us to image nuclear genome organization in individual cells down to few tens of nanometer (nm) of structural resolution, and to perform quantitative analyses of individual small chromatin domains; of the nanoscale distribution of histones, chromatin remodeling proteins, and transcription, splicing and repair related factors. As a biomedical research application, using dual-color SPDM, it became possible to monitor in mouse cardiomyocyte cells quantitatively the effects of ischemia conditions on the chromatin nanostructure (DNA). These novel "molecular optics" approaches open an avenue to study the nuclear landscape directly in individual cells down to the single molecule level and thus to test models of functional genome architecture at unprecedented resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Cremer
- Superresolution Microscopy, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany; Department of Physics, University of Mainz (JGU), Mainz, Germany; Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), and Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. http://www.optics.imb-mainz.de
| | - Aleksander Szczurek
- Superresolution Microscopy, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian Schock
- Department of Physics, University of Mainz (JGU), Mainz, Germany; Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), and Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Amine Gourram
- Superresolution Microscopy, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | - Udo Birk
- Superresolution Microscopy, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany; Department of Physics, University of Mainz (JGU), Mainz, Germany; Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), and Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Rouquette J, Cremer C, Cremer T, Fakan S. Functional nuclear architecture studied by microscopy: present and future. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2010; 282:1-90. [PMID: 20630466 DOI: 10.1016/s1937-6448(10)82001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this review we describe major contributions of light and electron microscopic approaches to the present understanding of functional nuclear architecture. The large gap of knowledge, which must still be bridged from the molecular level to the level of higher order structure, is emphasized by differences of currently discussed models of nuclear architecture. Molecular biological tools represent new means for the multicolor visualization of various nuclear components in living cells. New achievements offer the possibility to surpass the resolution limit of conventional light microscopy down to the nanometer scale and require improved bioinformatics tools able to handle the analysis of large amounts of data. In combination with the much higher resolution of electron microscopic methods, including ultrastructural cytochemistry, correlative microscopy of the same cells in their living and fixed state is the approach of choice to combine the advantages of different techniques. This will make possible future analyses of cell type- and species-specific differences of nuclear architecture in more detail and to put different models to critical tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Rouquette
- Biocenter, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Martinsried, Germany
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Baddeley D, Chagin VO, Schermelleh L, Martin S, Pombo A, Carlton PM, Gahl A, Domaing P, Birk U, Leonhardt H, Cremer C, Cardoso MC. Measurement of replication structures at the nanometer scale using super-resolution light microscopy. Nucleic Acids Res 2009; 38:e8. [PMID: 19864256 PMCID: PMC2811013 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkp901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA replication, similar to other cellular processes, occurs within dynamic macromolecular structures. Any comprehensive understanding ultimately requires quantitative data to establish and test models of genome duplication. We used two different super-resolution light microscopy techniques to directly measure and compare the size and numbers of replication foci in mammalian cells. This analysis showed that replication foci vary in size from 210 nm down to 40 nm. Remarkably, spatially modulated illumination (SMI) and 3D-structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) both showed an average size of 125 nm that was conserved throughout S-phase and independent of the labeling method, suggesting a basic unit of genome duplication. Interestingly, the improved optical 3D resolution identified 3- to 5-fold more distinct replication foci than previously reported. These results show that optical nanoscopy techniques enable accurate measurements of cellular structures at a level previously achieved only by electron microscopy and highlight the possibility of high-throughput, multispectral 3D analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Baddeley
- Kirchhoff Institut für Physik, University of Heidelberg, Germany
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High-precision structural analysis of subnuclear complexes in fixed and live cells via spatially modulated illumination (SMI) microscopy. Chromosome Res 2008; 16:367-82. [DOI: 10.1007/s10577-008-1238-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Baddeley D, Batram C, Weiland Y, Cremer C, Birk UJ. Nanostructure analysis using spatially modulated illumination microscopy. Nat Protoc 2008; 2:2640-6. [PMID: 17948007 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2007.399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We describe the usage of the spatially modulated illumination (SMI) microscope to estimate the sizes (and/or positions) of fluorescently labeled cellular nanostructures, including a brief introduction to the instrument and its handling. The principle setup of the SMI microscope will be introduced to explain the measures necessary for a successful nanostructure analysis, before the steps for sample preparation, data acquisition and evaluation are given. The protocol starts with cells already attached to the cover glass. The protocol and duration outlined here are typical for fixed specimens; however, considerably faster data acquisition and in vivo measurements are possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Baddeley
- Kirchhoff Institut für Physik, Universität Heidelberg, INF 227, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Abstract
The progress in discerning the structure and function of cells and tissues in health and disease has been achieved to a large extent by the continued development of new reagents for histochemistry, the improvement of existing techniques and new imaging techniques. This review will highlight some advancements made in these fields.
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Taatjes DJ, Zuber C, Roth J. The histochemistry and cell biology vade mecum: a review of 2005–2006. Histochem Cell Biol 2006; 126:743-88. [PMID: 17149649 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-006-0253-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2006] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The procurement of new knowledge and understanding in the ever expanding discipline of cell biology continues to advance at a breakneck pace. The progress in discerning the physiology of cells and tissues in health and disease has been driven to a large extent by the continued development of new probes and imaging techniques. The recent introduction of semi-conductor quantum dots as stable, specific markers for both fluorescence light microscopy and electron microscopy, as well as a virtual treasure-trove of new fluorescent proteins, has in conjunction with newly introduced spectral imaging systems, opened vistas into the seemingly unlimited possibilities for experimental design. Although it oftentimes proves difficult to predict what the future will hold with respect to advances in disciplines such as cell biology and histochemistry, it is facile to look back on what has already occurred. In this spirit, this review will highlight some advancements made in these areas in the past 2 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Taatjes
- Department of Pathology, Microscopy Imaging Center, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
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