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Analysis of the three dimensional organization of glia cell processes by X-ray- and high voltage electron -microscopy

Research Project

Project/Area Number 02670031
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Research Field 神経解剖学
Research InstitutionNational Institute for Physiological Sciences (1992)
Waseda University (1990-1991)

Principal Investigator

HAMA Kiyoshi  National Institute for physiological Sciences, Director General, 生理学研究所, 所長 (90028267)

Project Period (FY) 1990 – 1992
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 1992)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,400,000)
Fiscal Year 1992: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 1991: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Fiscal Year 1990: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Keywordsglia cell / three dimensional observation / high voltage electron microscope / X-ray microscope / Golgi staining / X顕微鏡 / 超高圧顕微鏡 / 三次元觀察
Research Abstract

Taking advantage of the merits of X-ray- and high voltage electron-microscopy, I examined details of the three dimensional organization of glia cell processes in various parts of the rat central nervous system.
With the X-ray microscope one can observe very thick specimens of over 100 in thickness and even in water, and with the high voltage electron microscope, a high resolution observation of rather thick specimens of up to 5mum in thickness is possible. In addition , stereo observation can be done because the depth of focus of the X-ray microscope and electron microscope is very large, and in this way the information obtained from the depth of the specimens can be analyzed.
Several important new findings were obtained with the aid of high voltage electron microscopy. 1) The protoplasmic astrocyte in the gray matter formed a dense three dimensional network in which terminal branches of axons and dendrites, and their synapses were embedded. The network was composed of thin leaflets or r … More ibbon-like structures of less than 50 nm in thickness. These fine branches arose directly from large branches and cell soma. They abutted on the outer surface of the capillary and fused to form a thin glial sheet in addition to that formed by rather thick astrocytic processes generally called capillary end feet. 2) The surfaces of the neurons studded with many nerve terminals are covered by astrocytic processes which formed networks covering the somata and large dendrites as seen with the light microscope. The sizes of the mesh roughly coincide with those of nerve terminals. High voltage electron microscopy revealed a layer consisting of polygonal compartments or cells which covered the soma and large dendrites. The walls of cells were consisted of a very thin astrocytic process. Each of these cells was supposed to wrap around a nerve terminal. It is interesting to note that the shapes of the processes other than those on the nerve cell somata resemble to those of the Bergmann glia cell in the cerebellum and Muller cell in the retina which are thought to originate from the radial glia cells. 3) Although global shapes of the fibrous astrocytes in the gray matter and white matter differed to each other and differed from those of the protoplasmic astrocytes, the shapes of their terminal branches were similar in principle, thin and fine leaflets or ribbonlike, and they seemed to adapt themselves to the shapes of neighboring neuronal or vascular structures.
It was found that high voltage electron microscope stereoscopy of thick Golgi stained materials was the most effective and reliable method of examining the detail of the three dimensional organization of glia cell processes in the central nervous system at present.
Golgi staining also gave enough contrast to glia cell processes for X-ray microscopy. Capability of observing over 100 mum thick specimen in one good focused image was a large merit of the X-ray microscope, however it's two dimensional resolution was about the same to that of the light microscope and was not high enough to resolve the details of fine terminal processes of the astrocytes. Improvement in practical resolution of the X-ray microscope is highly requested. X-ray microscopy of wet preparation will be an useful technique in glia cell morphology in the future. Less

Report

(4 results)
  • 1992 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1991 Annual Research Report
  • 1990 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (23 results)

All Other

All Publications (23 results)

  • [Publications] K.HAMA,T.KOSAKA: "Morphology of astrocytes under the high voltage electron microscope" IN PREPARTION. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] K.HAMA: "Three dimensional morphological and morphometrical studies of cellular fine structure by means of the high voltage electron microscope" Journal of Clinical Electron Microscopy IN PRESS. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 濱 清: "グリア細胞の三次元的構造について" 熊精協会誌No.73. 1-10 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] K.HAMA: "Three-Dimensional organizaton ofneuronal and glial cell processes as revealed by HVEM stereocopy" Electron Microscopy EMSA 1991. 144 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] K.HAMA: "Three-Dimensional morphometry of biogical fine structure using HVEM stereo images" Electron Microscopy EMSA 1991. 432 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] K.HAMA: "The three dimensional morphology of the astrocytic process covering the surface of the neuronal soma with many terminal boutons" Biomedical Research 12 Supplement2. 159-160 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] S.NAKAMURA,K.HAMA: "The transverse tubular of the hypertrophic myocardium:morphology and morphometry in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR)" Anatomy and Embryology. 184. 529-540 (1991)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Y.SHIMATANI,K.HAMA,Y.KATAGIRI,F.AIKAWA,Y.HASHIMOTO,N.KATAGIRI: "High-Voltage electron microscopic study on the Axon of the Dermal photoreceptor cell in the Dorsal mantle of Onchidium Verruculatum" J.Electron Microscopy. 39. 363-371 (1990)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] KIYOSHI HAMA: "X-Ray Microscopy in Biology and Medicine,ed.by K.Shinohara et al." Japan Science,Society.Press.Tokyo/Springer-Verlag,Berlin,277-283 (1990)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1992 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] K.Hama T.Kosaka: "Morphology of astrocytes under the high voltage electron mlcroscope" IN PREPARTION. (1992)

    • Related Report
      1992 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] K.Hama: "Three dimensional morphological and morphometrical studies of cellular fine structure by means of the high voltage electron microscope" Journal of Clinical Electron Microscopy. (1992)

    • Related Report
      1992 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 濱 清: "グリア細胞の三次元的構造について" 熊精協会誌No.73. 1-10 (1992)

    • Related Report
      1992 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] N.Katagiri,K.Hama et al.: "High voltage electron microscopic study on the axon of the dermal photoreceptor cell in the dorsal mantle of Onchidim verruculatum" J.Electron microscopy. 39. 363-371 (1990)

    • Related Report
      1991 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] K.Hama: "Three dimensional morphology of the astrocytic processes covering the surface of the meuronal soma with many terminal boutons." J.Biomedical Research. 12.Supp.2. 159-160 (1991)

    • Related Report
      1991 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] E.Ito,T.Takahashi,et al.: "An approach to imaing of living cell surface topgraphy by scanning tunneling microxcopy" Biochemical and Biphysical Research Communication. 177. 636-641 (1991)

    • Related Report
      1991 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] S.Nakamura and K.Hama: "The transverse tubular system of the hypertrophic myocardium:morphology and morphometry in spontanions hypertensive rats(SHR)" Anatomy and Embryology. 184. 529-540 (1991)

    • Related Report
      1991 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] K.Hama: "Threeーdimensional organization of neuronal and glial cell processes as revealed by HVEM stereoscopy" Electron Microscopy. 49. 144-145 (1991)

    • Related Report
      1991 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] K.Hama: "Threeーdimensional morphometry of biological fine structure using HVEN stereo images" Electron Microscopy. 49. 432-433 (1991)

    • Related Report
      1991 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] C.Fujitsuka,N.Fujitsuka,K.Hama,F.H.D:wan,M.Sokabe and F.Ito: "Intramembrane particles and responses of axon terminal during reinnervatin of the frog muscle spindle." J.Neurocytology. 19. 175-186 (1990)

    • Related Report
      1990 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] N.Katagiri,K.Hama,Y.Katagiri,Y.Shimatani,Y.Hashimoto,E.Aikawa: "High voltage electron microscopic study on the axon of the dermal photoreceptor cell in the dorsal mantle of Onchidium verruculatum." J.Electron Microsc.39. 363-371 (1990)

    • Related Report
      1990 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] K.Hama: "The three dimensional morphology of the astrocytic processes covering the surface of the neuronal soma with many terminal boutons." J.Biomedical Res.

    • Related Report
      1990 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] S.Nakamura and K.Hama: "The transverse tubular system of the hypertrophic myocardium:its morhology and morphometry in the spontaneous hypertensive rats(SHR):A HVEM study" Anatomy and Embryology.

    • Related Report
      1990 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 山田 和生 他: "最新心電学(分担)" 丸善株式会社,

    • Related Report
      1990 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1990-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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