Surface damage induced by FIB milling and imaging of biological samples is controllable

Focused ion beam (FIB) techniques are among the most important tools for the nanostructuring of surfaces. We used the FIB/SEM (scanning electron microscope) for milling and imaging of digestive gland cells. The aim of our study was to document the interactions of FIB with the surface of the biological sample during FIB investigation, to identify the classes of artifacts, and to test procedures that could induce the quality of FIB milled sections by reducing the artifacts. The digestive gland cells were prepared for conventional SEM. During FIB/SEM operation we induced and enhanced artifacts. The results show that FIB operation on biological tissue affected the area of the sample where ion beam was rastering. We describe the FIB-induced surface major artifacts as a melting-like effect, sweating-like effect, morphological deformations, and gallium (Ga(+)) implantation. The FIB induced surface artifacts caused by incident Ga(+) ions were reduced by the application of a protective platinum strip on the surface exposed to the beam and by a suitable selection of operation protocol. We recommend the same sample preparation methods, FIB protocol for milling and imaging to be used also for other biological samples.     

高表达抗人TNF-α人-鼠嵌合抗体细胞株的建立及其表达产物的分析

目的建立高表达抗人TNF-α人-鼠嵌合抗体的工程细胞株。方法将构建的抗人TNF-α人-鼠嵌合抗体基因真核表达载体转染CHO细胞,并采用DHFR/MTX基因扩增策略,经反复加压和克隆筛选,提高抗体的表达量。用ELISA、Westernblot和体外中和试验分析比较抗人TNF-α人-鼠嵌合抗体与鼠亲本单抗的特性。结果获得的表达抗人TNF-α嵌合抗体的转染细胞系2F5,在静止培养4d后工程抗体的表达量约80mg/L。所表达的工程抗体优于鼠亲本单抗F7/2,并具有良好的特异性和中和活性,其相对亲和力约为2.1×10-10mol/L。结论已成功建立了高表达的嵌合抗体工程细胞株,其抗体具有潜在的临床应用前景。     

Imaging of intracellular spherical lamellar structures and tissue gross morphology by a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM)

We report the use of a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) for simultaneous investigation of digestive gland epithelium gross morphology and ultrastructure of multilamellar intracellular structures. Digestive glands of a terrestrial isopod (Porcellio scaber, Isopoda, Crustacea) were examined by FIB/SEM and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results obtained by FIB/SEM and by TEM are comparable and complementary. The FIB/SEM shows the same ultrastructural complexity of multilamellar intracellular structures as indicated by TEM. The term lamellar bodies was used for the multillamellar structures in the digestive glands of P. scaber due to their structural similarity to the lamellar bodies found in vertebrate lungs. Lamellar bodies in digestive glands of different animals vary in their abundance, and number as well as the thickness of concentric lamellae per lamellar body. FIB/SEM revealed a connection between digestive gland gross morphological features and the structure of lamellar bodies. Serial slicing and imaging of cells enables easy identification of the contact between a lamellar body and a lipid droplet. There are frequent reports of multilamellar intracellular structures in different vertebrate as well as invertebrate cells, but laminated cellular structures are still poorly known. The FIB/SEM can significantly contribute to the structural knowledge and is always recommended when a link between gross morphology and ultrastructure is investigated, especially when cells or cellular inclusions have a dynamic nature due to normal, stressed or pathological conditions.     

抗人TNF-α人-鼠嵌合抗体基因在CHO细胞中的表达

目的构建抗人TNF-α人-鼠嵌合抗体基因,并在CHO细胞中表达。方法采用RT-PCR及RACE技术从鼠杂交瘤细胞克隆免疫球蛋白可变区基因,与人免疫球蛋白恒区基因拼接,构建人-鼠嵌合抗体基因,转染CHO细胞并测定其表达量。结果构建的嵌合抗体基因在CHO细胞中的初始表达量为0.71μg/ml,亚克隆后表达量达0.95μg/ml。结论已成功构建抗人TNF-α嵌合抗体基因,并在CHO细胞中得到了高效表达。