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Electron Tomography for the Study of Synaptic Ultrastructure in Fixed Brain Sections

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Nanoscale Imaging of Synapses

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 84))

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Abstract

Synaptic function depends upon interactions among sets of proteins that assemble into complex machines. Molecular biology, electrophysiology, and live-cell imaging studies have provided glimpses into the inner workings of the synapse, but the functional organization of these supramolecular nano-assemblies remains obscure. Electron tomography reveals the internal structure of synapses in three dimensions with exceptional spatial resolution. We here describe an approach to the study of ultrastructure that relies on plastic-embedded aldehyde-fixed material stabilized with tannic acid instead of osmium tetroxide. This approach offers a new window into the structural basis of synaptic processing in the mammalian brain.

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Acknowledgements

Grant support: R01 NS039444 (RJW).

We thank Kristen Phend for histological assistance; Michael Franke for his help with the segmentation presented in Fig. 2.8; Niels Volkmann for his assistance with image denoising, filament extraction, and atomic docking; Maryann Martone and Mark H Ellisman for assistance with preparation of electron tomograms; and the CCDB.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Alain C. Burette & Richard J. Weinberg

  2. Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Richard J. Weinberg

Authors
  1. Alain C. Burette
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  2. Richard J. Weinberg
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

    U. Valentin Nägerl

  2. Institute of Biology at Ecole Normale Supérieure, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France

    Antoine Triller

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Burette, A.C., Weinberg, R.J. (2014). Electron Tomography for the Study of Synaptic Ultrastructure in Fixed Brain Sections. In: Nägerl, U., Triller, A. (eds) Nanoscale Imaging of Synapses. Neuromethods, vol 84. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9179-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9179-8_2

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-9178-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9179-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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