Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Digital Imaging of Stem Cells by Electron Microscopy

  • Protocol
Stem Cell Assays

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 407))

Summary

This chapter deals with basic techniques of scanning and transmission electron microscopy applicable to stem cell imaging. It is sometimes desirable to characterize the fine structure of embryonic and adult stem cells to supplement the images obtained by phase-contrast and confocal immunofluorescent microscopy to compare with the microstructure of cells and tissues reported in the literature. This would help confirm their true identity whilst defining their surface and internal morphology. The intention is to put a face on stem cells during their differentiation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Fawcett, D.W. (ed.) (1981) The Cell. W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Motta, P.M. (ed.) (1989) Cells and Tissues. A Three-dimensional Approach by Modern Techniques in Microscopy. Prog. Clin. Biol. Res., Vol. 295. Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sathananthan, A.H. (ed.) (1996) Atlas of Human Cell Ultrastructure. CSIRO, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Makabe, S., Van Blerkom, J., Nottola, S.A., and Naguro, T. (eds.) (2006) Atlas of Human Female Reproductive Function. Ovarian Development to Early Embryogenesis after In Vitro Fertilization. Taylor & Francis, London.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bongso, A. and Lee, E.H. (eds.) (2005) Stem Cells From Bench to Bedside. World Scientific, Singapore.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Sathananthan, A.H., Pera, M., and Trounson, A.O. (2002) The fine structure of human embryonic stem cells. Reprod. BioMed. Online 4, 56–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Sathananthan, A.H., Gunasheela, S., and Menezes, J. (2003) Critical evaluation of human blastocysts for assisted reproduction and embryo stem cell biotechnology. Reprod. Biomed. Online 7, 219–227.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Baharvand, H. and Matthaei, K.I. (2003) The ultrastructure of mouse embryonic stem cells. Reprod. Biomed. Online 7, 330–335.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Sathananthan, A.H. and Trounson, A. (2005) Human embryonic stem cells and their spontaneous differentiation. Ital. J. Anat. Embryol. 110 (2 Suppl. 1), 151–158.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Motta, P.M., Andrews, P.M., and Porter, K.R. (eds.) (1977) Microanatomy of Cell and Tissue Surfaces. An Atlas of Scanning Electron Microscopy. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Motta, P.M., Nottola, S.A., Familiari, G., Makabe, S., Stallone, T., and Macchiarelli, G. (2003) Morphodynamics of the follicular-luteal complex during early ovarian development and reproductive life. Int. Rev. Cytol. 223, 177–288.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Postek, M.T., Howard, K.S., Johnson, A.H., and McMichael, K.L. (eds.) (1980) Scanning Electron Microscopy. A Student’s Handbook. Ladd Research Industries, Burlington.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Murakami, T. (1974) A revised tannin-osmium method for non-coated scanning electron microscope specimens. Arch. Histol. Jpn. 36, 189–193.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hayat, M.A. (ed.) (1989) Principles and Techniques of Electron Microscopy. 3rd Edition. CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Familiari, G., Nottola, S.A., Micara, G., Aragona, C., and Motta, P.M. (1988) Is sperm-binding capability of the zona pellucida linked to its surface structure? A scanning electron microscopic study of human in vitro fertilization. J. In Vitro Fert. Embryo Transf. 5, 134–143.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Motta, P.M., Nottola, S.A., Micara, G., and Familiari, G. (1988) Ultrastructure of human unfertilized oocytes and polyspermic embryos in an in vitro fertilization program. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 541, 367–383.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Nottola, S.A., Familiari, G., Micara, G., Aragona, C., and Motta, P.M. (1991) The ultrastructure of human cumulus-corona cells at the time of fertilization and early embryogenesis. A scanning and transmission electron microscopic study in an in vitro fertilization program. Arch. Histol. Cytol. 54, 145–161.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Nottola, S.A., Makabe, S., Stallone, T., Familiari, G., Correr, S., and Macchiarelli, G. (2005). Surface morphology of the zona pellucida surrounding human blastocysts obtained after in vitro fertilization. Arch. Histol. Cytol. 68, 133–141.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Wheeler, M.B. (1994) Development and validation of swine embryonic stem cells: a review. Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 6, 563–568.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Sathananthan, A.H. (ed.) (1996) Microscopic Atlas of Sperm Function for ART. National University Hospital and Serono, Singapore.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Sathananthan, A.H., Ng, S.C., Bongso, A., Trounson, A., and Ratnam, S.S. (1993) Visual Atlas of Early Human Development for Assisted Reproductive Technology. National University Hospital and Serono, Singapore.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Website of AHS (2002–2007) “Human Embryo genesis” http://www.sathembryoart.com

  23. Glauert, A.M. (ed.) (1974) Practical Methods in Electron Microscopy, Vol. 3. North-Holland, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Sathananthan, A.H. (2000) Ultrastructure of human gametes, fertlization, and embryo development, in Handbook of In Vitro Fertilization (Trounson, A.O. and Gardner, D.K., eds.), 2nd Edition. CRC, Boca Raton, London, pp. 431–464.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tanaka, K. and Naguro, T. (1981) High resolution scanning electron microscopy of cell organelles by a new specimen preparation method. Biomed. Res. 2, 63–70.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Makabe, S., Naguro, T., and Motta, P.M. (1992) A new approach to the study of ovarian follicles by scanning electron microscopy and ODO maceration. Arch. Histol. Cytol. 55 (Suppl), 183–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Makabe, S., Naguro, T., Nottola, S.A., and Motta, P.M. (2001) Ultrastructural dynamic features of in vitro fertilization in humans. Ital. J. Anat. Embryol. 106 (2 Suppl. 2), 11–20.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Familiari, G., Nottola, S.A., Macchiarelli, G., Micara, G., Aragona, C., and Motta, P.M. (1992) Human zona pellucida during in vitro fertilization: an ultrastructural study using saponin, ruthenium red, and osmium-thiocarbohydrazide. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 32, 51–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vial, D., Oliver, C., Jamur, M.C., Davila Pastor, M.V., da Silva Trindade, E., Berenstein, E., Zhang, J., and Siraganian, R.P. (2003) Alterations in granule matrix and cell surface of focal adhesion kinase-deficient mast cells. J. Immunol. 171, 6178–6186.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Cui, L., Johkura, K., Yue, F., Ogiwara, N., Okouchi, Y., Asanuma, K., and Sasaki, K. (2004) Spatial distribution and initial changes of SSEA-1 and other cell adhesion-related molecules on mouse embryonic stem cells before and during differentiation. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 52, 1447–1457.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Weinhold, B., Schratt, G., Arsenian, S., Berger, J., Kamino, K., Schwarz, H., Ruther, U., and Nordheim, A. (2000) Srf -/- ES cells display non-cell-autonomous impairment in mesodermal differentiation. EMBO J. 19, 5835–5844.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Akino, K., Mineda, T., and Akita, S. (2005) Early cellular changes of human mesenchymal stem cells and their interaction with other cells. Wound Repair Regen. 13, 434–440.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Toquet, J., Rohanizadeh, R., Guicheux, J., Couillaud, S., Passuti, N., Draculsi, G., and Heymann, D. (1999) Osteogenic potential in vitro of human bone marrow cells cultured on macroporous biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 44, 98–108.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Schratt, G., Weinhold, B., Lundberg, A.S., Schuck, S., Berger, J., Schwarz, H., Weinberg, R.A., Ruther, U., and Nordheim, A. (2001) Serum response factor is required for immediate-early gene activation yet is dispensable for proliferation of embryonic stem cells. Mol. Cell. Biol. 21, 2933–2943.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Srouji, S. and Livne, E. (2005) Bone marrow stem cells and biological scaffold for bone repair in aging and disease. Mech. Ageing Dev. 126, 281–287.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Stojkovic, P., Lako, M., Przyborski, S., Stewart, R., Armstrong, L., Evans, J., Zhang, X., and Stojkovic, M. (2005) Human-serum matrix supports undifferentiated growth of human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 23, 895–902.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Horak, D., Kroupova, J., Slouf, M., and Dvorak, P. (2004) Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based slabs as a mouse embryonic stem cell support. Biomaterials 25, 5249–5260.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Modin, C., Stranne, A.L., Foss, M., Duch, M., Justesen, J., Chevallier, J., Andersen, L.K., Hemmersam, A.G., Pedersen, F.S., and Besenbacher, F. (2006) QCM-D studies of attachment and differential spreading of pre-osteoblastic cells on Ta and Cr surfaces. Biomaterials 27, 1346–1354.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Zhang, S., Gelain, F., and Zhao, X. (2005) Designer self-assembling petide nanofiber scaffold for 3-D tissue cell cultures. Semin. Cancer. Biol. 15, 413–420.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Sathananthan, A.H. (2003) Origins of human embryonic stem cells and their spontaneous differentiation. First National Stem Cell Centre Scientific Conference, Melbourne, Poster 225.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash Immunology & Stem Cell Laboratories, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    A. Henry Sathananthan

  2. Department of Anatomy, Laboratory for Electron Microscopy “Pietro M. Motta”, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Stefania A. Nottola

Authors
  1. A. Henry Sathananthan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stefania A. Nottola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stem Cells, Reprogenetics, West Orange, NJ

    Mohan C. Vemuri

  2. Invitrogen Corporation, Grand Island, NY

    Mohan C. Vemuri

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Humana Press

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Sathananthan, A.H., Nottola, S.A. (2007). Digital Imaging of Stem Cells by Electron Microscopy. In: Vemuri, M.C. (eds) Stem Cell Assays. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 407. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-536-7_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-536-7_3

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-744-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-536-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation