Yamaguchi M, Taguchi M, Uematsu K, Takahashi-Nakaguchi A, Sato-Okamoto M, Chibana H. Sandwich freezing device for rapid freezing of viruses, bacteria, yeast, cultured cells and animal and human tissues in electron microscopy.
Microscopy (Oxf) 2021;
70:215-223. [PMID:
33206169 DOI:
10.1093/jmicro/dfaa049]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We have been using sandwich freezing of living yeast and bacteria followed by freeze-substitution for observing close-to-native ultrastructure of cells. Recently, sandwich freezing of glutaraldehyde-fixed cultured cells and human tissues have been found to give excellent preservation of ultrastructure of cells and tissues. These studies, however, have been conducted using a handmade sandwich freezing device and have been limited in a few laboratories. To spread the use of this method to other laboratories, we fabricated and commercialized a new sandwich freezing device. The new device is inexpensive, portable and sterilizable. It can be used to rapid-freeze viruses, bacteria, yeast, cultured cells and animal and human tissues to a depth of 0.2 mm if tissues are prefixed with glutaraldehyde. The commercial availability of this device will expand application of rapid freezing to wide range of biological materials.
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