scholarly journals Kinetochore structure: electron spectroscopic imaging of the kinetochore.

1989 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 1209-1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
J B Rattner ◽  
D P Bazett-Jones

The structure of the kinetochore in thin section has been studied in the Indian muntjac by an electron spectroscopic imaging technique. This procedures allows the analysis of the distribution of phosphorus within the layers of the kinetochore. The results indicate that this element is a major component of both the inner and outer plates whereas it is largely absent in the middle plate and fibrous corona. The majority of the phosphorus is localized to a 30-nm fiber(s) that is woven through the layers of the kinetochore. The presence of phosphorus within this fiber, along with its morphological and biochemical features, indicates that it contains DNA. The fiber(s) occupies a major portion of the inner and outer plate where it forms a series of rows. It is rarely observed in the middle layer except where it passes between the inner and outer layers. The absence of structure in the middle plate suggests that it may represent a space rather than a plate that in turn may be related to the function of this region. The distribution of phosphorus within the kinetochore is neither altered by treatment with colcemid nor by the presence of microtubules at the kinetochore. Analysis of conventional micrographs of the kinetochore together with structural information obtained by electron spectroscopic imaging suggests that most microtubules insert and terminate between the rows of kinetochore fibers in the outer plate. However, some microtubules continue through the middle layer and terminate at the lower plate. The insertion of microtubules at different levels of the kinetochore may reflect the existence of functionally distinct microtubule classes. Electron spectroscopic imaging indicates that the microtubules associated with the kinetochore are phosphorylated.

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 463-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulysses Lins ◽  
Flávia Freitas ◽  
Carolina N. Keim ◽  
Marcos Farina

AbstractMagnetotactic bacteria from aquatic environments were analyzed with the electron spectroscopic imaging technique. Rod-shaped bacteria and cocci were present in most of the samples observed. Magnetotactic multicellular aggregates were also observed at some of the sampling sites. The use of electron spectroscopic imaging allowed the observation of magnetosomes inside magnetotactic microorganisms with exceptional clarity. The number, size, and morphology of magnetosomes, as well as their ultrastructural spatial disposition inside the bacterial cell, could be directly observed and associated with the disposition of flagella of the respective cells.This allowed us to examine the structural relationships between magnetosomes and flagella, which are important components in the mechanisms of magnetotaxis. In disrupted magnetotactic multicellular aggregates, connections between cells were also visualized. We believe this technique will be useful in studying not only magnetotactic bacteria but also other uncultured microorganisms from natural environments.


Author(s):  
Daniel Beniac ◽  
George Harauz

The structures of E. coli ribosomes have been extensively probed by electron microscopy of negatively stained and frozen hydrated preparations. Coupled with quantitative image analysis and three dimensional reconstruction, such approaches are worthwhile in defining size, shape, and quaternary organisation. The important question of how the nucleic acid and protein components are arranged with respect to each other remains difficult to answer, however. A microscopical technique that has been proposed to answer this query is electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI), in which scattered electrons with energy losses characteristic of inner shell ionisations are used to form specific elemental maps. Here, we report the use of image sorting and averaging techniques to determine the extent to which a phosphorus map of isolated ribosomal subunits can define the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) distribution within them.


Author(s):  
David P. Bazett-Jones ◽  
Mark L. Brown

A multisubunit RNA polymerase enzyme is ultimately responsible for transcription initiation and elongation of RNA, but recognition of the proper start site by the enzyme is regulated by general, temporal and gene-specific trans-factors interacting at promoter and enhancer DNA sequences. To understand the molecular mechanisms which precisely regulate the transcription initiation event, it is crucial to elucidate the structure of the transcription factor/DNA complexes involved. Electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) provides the opportunity to visualize individual DNA molecules. Enhancement of DNA contrast with ESI is accomplished by imaging with electrons that have interacted with inner shell electrons of phosphorus in the DNA backbone. Phosphorus detection at this intermediately high level of resolution (≈lnm) permits selective imaging of the DNA, to determine whether the protein factors compact, bend or wrap the DNA. Simultaneously, mass analysis and phosphorus content can be measured quantitatively, using adjacent DNA or tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as mass and phosphorus standards. These two parameters provide stoichiometric information relating the ratios of protein:DNA content.


Author(s):  
Weiping Liu ◽  
Jennifer Fung ◽  
W.J. de Ruijter ◽  
Hans Chen ◽  
John W. Sedat ◽  
...  

Electron tomography is a technique where many projections of an object are collected from the transmission electron microscope (TEM), and are then used to reconstruct the object in its entirety, allowing internal structure to be viewed. As vital as is the 3-D structural information and with no other 3-D imaging technique to compete in its resolution range, electron tomography of amorphous structures has been exercised only sporadically over the last ten years. Its general lack of popularity can be attributed to the tediousness of the entire process starting from the data collection, image processing for reconstruction, and extending to the 3-D image analysis. We have been investing effort to automate all aspects of electron tomography. Our systems of data collection and tomographic image processing will be briefly described.To date, we have developed a second generation automated data collection system based on an SGI workstation (Fig. 1) (The previous version used a micro VAX). The computer takes full control of the microscope operations with its graphical menu driven environment. This is made possible by the direct digital recording of images using the CCD camera.


Author(s):  
C.L. Woodcock ◽  
R.A. Horowitz ◽  
D. P. Bazett-Jones ◽  
A.L. Olins

In the eukaryotic nucleus, DNA is packaged into nucleosomes, and the nucleosome chain folded into ‘30nm’ chromatin fibers. A number of different model structures, each with a specific location of nucleosomal and linker DNA have been proposed for the arrangment of nucleosomes within the fiber. We are exploring two strategies for testing the models by localizing DNA within chromatin: electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) of phosphorus atoms, and osmium ammine (OSAM) staining, a method based on the DNA-specific Feulgen reaction.Sperm were obtained from Patiria miniata (starfish), fixed in 2% GA in 150mM NaCl, 15mM HEPES pH 8.0, and embedded In Lowiciyl K11M at -55C. For OSAM staining, sections 100nm to 150nm thick were treated as described, and stereo pairs recorded at 40,000x and 100KV using a Philips CM10 TEM. (The new osmium ammine-B stain is available from Polysciences Inc). Uranyl-lead (U-Pb) staining was as described. ESI was carried out on unstained, very thin (<30 nm) beveled sections at 80KV using a Zeiss EM902. Images were recorded at 20,000x and 30,000x with median energy losses of 110eV, 120eV and 160eV, and a window of 20eV.


Author(s):  
Weiping Liu ◽  
John W. Sedat ◽  
David A. Agard

Any real world object is three-dimensional. The principle of tomography, which reconstructs the 3-D structure of an object from its 2-D projections of different view angles has found application in many disciplines. Electron Microscopic (EM) tomography on non-ordered structures (e.g., subcellular structures in biology and non-crystalline structures in material science) has been exercised sporadically in the last twenty years or so. As vital as is the 3-D structural information and with no existing alternative 3-D imaging technique to compete in its high resolution range, the technique to date remains the kingdom of a brave few. Its tedious tasks have been preventing it from being a routine tool. One keyword in promoting its popularity is automation: The data collection has been automated in our lab, which can routinely yield a data set of over 100 projections in the matter of a few hours. Now the image processing part is also automated. Such automations finish the job easier, faster and better.


Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 336
Author(s):  
Atsushi Nakanishi ◽  
Shohei Hayashi ◽  
Hiroshi Satozono ◽  
Kazuue Fujita

We demonstrate spectroscopic imaging using a compact ultra-broadband terahertz semiconductor source with a high-power, mid-infrared quantum cascade laser. The electrically pumped monolithic source is based on intra-cavity difference-frequency generation and can be designed to achieve an ultra-broadband multi-mode terahertz emission spectrum extending from 1–4 THz without any external optical setup. Spectroscopic imaging was performed with three frequency bands, 2.0 THz, 2.5 THz and 3.0 THz, and as a result, this imaging technique clearly identified three different tablet components (polyethylene, D-histidine and DL-histidine). This method may be highly suitable for quality monitoring of pharmaceutical materials.


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