Construction of multi-scale mapping system of plant tissues and cells prepared by high-pressure freezing and TEM techniques

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24687007
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Morphology/Structure
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Toyooka Kiminori 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 環境資源科学研究センター, 上級研究員 (10360596)
• Research Collaborator: SATO MAYUKO ; MOCHIDA KEIICHI ; NAGATA NORIKO ; MATSUOKA KEN ; HASEZAWA SEIICHIRO ; KUTUSNA NATUMARO ; HIGAKI TAKUMI ; WAKAZAKI MAYUMI ; HASHIMOTO KEI
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 電子顕微鏡 / オルガネラ / マッピング / 電子地図 / 高圧凍結技法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is important for high-resolution ultrastructure observation for organelles, cells and tissues. However, it is unsuitable for comprehensive analyses. I constructed “Electron microscope atlas” to achieve an exhaustive ultrastructural analysis of organelles in model plants by using high-pressure freezing (HPF) and TEM techniques. To take wide and high-resolution TEM images, plant organs and culture cells were frozen by HFP machine and then fix. After embedded in resin, large ultra thin sections were put on a hole grid. Using our developed auto-TEM image acquisition system, I obtained several giga-pixel images of plant organs and culture cells. Moreover, I clarified the ultrastructural and distribution changes of organelles in culture cells, and developed a web-based 2D map “Electron microscope atlas” that can be zoomed and searched.

Free Research Field

超微形態学