Aclar discs: a versatile substrate for routine high-pressure freezing of mammalian cell monolayers |
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Authors: | N. JIMÉ NEZ,B. M. HUMBEL,E. VAN DONSELAAR,A. J. VERKLEIJ,& K. N. J. BURGER |
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Affiliation: | Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Department of Biochemical Physiology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | High‐pressure freezing avoids the artefacts induced by conventional chemical fixation, and, in combination with freeze‐substitution and plastic embedding, is a reliable method for the ultrastructural analysis of mammalian cell monolayers. In order to high‐pressure freeze mammalian cell monolayers, cells have to be seeded on a suitable substrate. Unfortunately, electron microscopy analysis is often hampered by poor cell growth, changes in cell morphology induced by the cell substrate or cell loss during processing. We report a method to culture, high‐pressure freeze, freeze‐substitute and plastic embed mammalian cell monolayers. The method is based on the use of Aclar, a copolymer film with properties very similar to those of tissue culture plastic. We show that Aclar discs support the normal growth and morphology of a wide variety of mammalian cell types, and form an ideal starting point for high‐pressure freezing, freeze‐substitution and plastic embedding. We present a complete protocol, which, because of its simplicity and reproducibility, provides a method suitable for the routine analysis of mammalian cell monolayers by electron microscopy and tomography. |
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Keywords: | Electron microscopy electron tomography freeze-substitution high-pressure freezing mammalian cell monolayers |
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