Preparation of Amyl Acetate and Acetone Labile Eggs From Parasitic Nematodes For Scanning Electron Microscopy

Author(s):  
Robert D. Specian ◽  
Venita F. Allison ◽  
J. E. Ubelaker ◽  
J. H. Martin

The structure and composition of parasitic nematode eggs, particularly the shells, are of interest to various investigators. Egg morphology is widely used for species identification where sacrifice of the host is not desirable. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allows surface sculpture patterns on eggs of closely related species to be observed and aids in identification. The egg shell, in many species of parasitic nematodes, is composed of a proteinchitin-lipid complex which, unfortunately, is labile in many organic solvents including those routinely employed in the preparation of samples for SEM by the critical point drying method.The present study is concerned with the fine surface morphology of eggs from Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782), Toxocara mystax (Zeder, 1800), and Ascaris suum Goeze, 1782, as revealed by SEM after several preparative procedures.

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1148-1149
Author(s):  
D. Young ◽  
R.A. Heckmann ◽  
J. S. Gardner

Adult Rhabdochona nematodes, commonly parasitizing fish, were present in the digestive tracts of cutthroat trout in Little Cottonwood Creek, Utah. Cutthroat trout, Oncorhyncus clarki, are known to serve as both intermediate and definitive hosts for parasitic nematodes. The larval stage parasitizes almost any tissue of its host, but the adult is always found in the digestive tract. Due to the lack of key morphological features, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to identify specific structures leading to the nematode's taxonomic identification.Cutthroat trout were obtained using a rod and reel and were dissected the same day. Nematodes were present in all 12 cutthroat trout residing in all parts of the digestive tract. The nematodes, Rhabdochona sp., were prepared for SEM using the following procedures. First, the parasites were fixed in 2% buffered glutaraldehyde, washed in sodium cacodylate buffer, and post fixed in a 1% solution of osmium tetroxide. The samples were then washed in the same buffer system and dehydrated through a graded alcohol series. Critical-point-drying removed the remaining fluids. Finally, the nematodes were placed on specimen stubs, sputter coated with gold, and each specimen examined with a JOEL-840 high resolution scanning electron microscope with micrographs taken at varying magnifications.


Author(s):  
Robert W. Weise

The role that scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is playing in descriptive helminthology is becoming more apparent in the literature. However, the majority of papers on the SEM of helminths have used conventional or modified light microscope techniques of fixation and dehydration, and not established SEM techniques in which freeze- and critical point-drying are routinely used. The present investigation was undertaken to examine the applicability of modified scanning and transmission electron microscope techniques for the preparation of certain helminths for SEM.Method I.– Live animal-parasitic nematodes were fixed in 6% phosphate buffered glutaraldehyde for 24 hr at room temperature.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 469-472
Author(s):  
Padam Singh ◽  
Jagirti Madan ◽  
Nidhi Gupta

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study showed that miniature rice grain like egg shell of Hohorstiella rampurensis was covered by obliquely placed opercular disc. The apophyses were present only on one side of the egg shell. There were 25-35 long elongated rod like apophyses (apically turned), which were arranged in 3-4 rows and occurred in pair. The nature of egg shell of H. rampurensis characteristically differed from that of H. lata (the only species of Hohorstiella studied, so far). The study further indicates about the role of egg morphology as a guide to louse taxonomy.


Author(s):  
Linda M. Sicko ◽  
Thomas E. Jensen

The use of critical point drying is rapidly becoming a popular method of preparing biological samples for scanning electron microscopy. The procedure is rapid, and produces consistent results with a variety of samples. The preservation of surface details is much greater than that of air drying, and the procedure is less complicated than that of freeze drying. This paper will present results comparing conventional air-drying of plant specimens to critical point drying, both of fixed and unfixed material. The preservation of delicate structures which are easily damaged in processing and the use of filter paper as a vehicle for drying will be discussed.


Author(s):  
M.J.C. Hendrix ◽  
D.E. Morse

Atrial septal defects are considered the most common congenital cardiac anomaly occurring in humans. In studying the normal sequential development of the atrial septum, chick embryos of the White Leghorn strain were prepared for scanning electron microscopy and the results were then extrapolated to the human heart. One-hundred-eighty chick embryos from 2 to 21 days of age were removed from their shells and immersed in cold cacodylate-buffered aldehyde fixative . Twenty-four embryos through the first week post-hatching were perfused in vivo using cold cacodylate-buffered aldehyde fixative with procaine hydrochloride. The hearts were immediately dissected free and remained in the fixative a minimum of 2 hours. In most cases, the lateral atrial walls were removed during this period. The tissues were then dehydrated using a series of ascending grades of ethanol; final dehydration of the tissues was achieved via the critical point drying method followed by sputter-coating with goldpalladium.


Author(s):  
T. Inoué ◽  
H. Koike

Low temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) is useful to avoid artifacts such as deformation and extraction, because specimens are not subjected to chemical fixation, dehydration and critical-point drying. Since Echlin et al developed a LTSEM, many techniques and instruments have been reported for observing frozen materials. However, intracellular structures such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum have been unobservable by the method because of the low resolving power and inadequate specimen preparation methods. Recently, we developed a low temperature SEM that attained high resolutions. In this study, we introduce highly magnified images obtained by the newly developed LTSEM, especially intracellular structures which have been rapidly frozen without chemical fixation.[Specimen preparations] Mouse pancreas and brown adipose tissues (BAT) were used as materials. After the tissues were removed and cut into small pieces, the specimen was placed on a cryo-tip and rapidly frozen in liquid propane using a rapid freezing apparatus (Eiko Engineering Co. Ltd., Japan). After the tips were mounted on the specimen stage of a precooled cryo-holder, the surface of the specimen was manually fractured by a razor blade in liquid nitrogen. The cryo-holder was then inserted into the specimen chamber of the SEM (ISI DS-130), and specimens were observed at the accelerating voltages of 5-8 kV. At first the surface was slightly covered with frost, but intracellular structures were gradually revealed as the frost began to sublimate. Gold was then coated on the specimen surface while tilting the holder at 45-90°. The holder was connected to a liquid nitrogen reservoir by means of a copper braid to maintain low temperature.


Author(s):  
Alan Beckett

Low temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) has been evaluated with special reference to its application to the study of morphology and development in microorganisms. A number of criteria have been considered and have proved valuable in assessing the standard of results achieved. To further aid our understanding of these results, it has been necessary to compare those obtained by LTSEM with those from more conventional preparatory procedures such as 1) chemical fixation, dehydration and critical point-drying; 2) freeze-drying with or without chemical vapour fixation before hand.The criteria used for assessing LTSEM for the above purposes are as follows: 1)Specimen immobilization and stabilization2)General preservation of external morphology3)General preservation of internal morphology4)Exposure to solvents5)Overall dimensional changes6)Cell surface texture7)Differential conformational changes8)Etching frozen-hydrated material9)Beam damage10)Specimen resolution11)Specimen life


1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 539-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarete Borg

Abstract The labeling of immunocomplexes for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a fairly new technique, and the various procedures, that have been proposed, have not yet been compared. Such comparative evaluation was performed with Candida protease as a target antigen. This secretory enzyme of the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans can be localized on the surface of fungal blastopores and mycelia, both after growth in proteinaceous medium and upon infection of murine peritoneal macrophages. The presence of the protease antigen was confirmed by immunofluorescence and by immunoperoxidase-light microscopy. The decoration of protease - anti protease complexes for SEM was attempted with colloids derived from the immunoperoxidase reaction, by the immunogold technique, and by antibodies linked to beads of synthetic polymers (polystyrene, polymethacrylate, polyacrolein). In addition, inactivated Staphylococcus aureus was used, which binds to antibodies through its protein-A. The high resolution by SEM of surface structures was matched only by the colloid based decoration techniques. All conjugates with beads suffered from inconsistent binding, which did not correspond with the distribution of the surface antigen. The comparatively best result with beads was obtained with polystyrene (Latex). Colloid based techniques in addition allow for critical point drying, which cannot be applied to synthetic beads in the usual manner.


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