The use of trehalose in the preparation of specimens for molecular electron microscopy

Po Lin Chiu; Deborah F. Kelly; Thomas Walz

doi:10.1016/j.micron.2011.06.005

The use of trehalose in the preparation of specimens for molecular electron microscopy

Po Lin Chiu, Deborah F. Kelly, Thomas Walz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Biological specimens have to be prepared for imaging in the electron microscope in a way that preserves their native structure. Two-dimensional (2D) protein crystals to be analyzed by electron crystallography are best preserved by sugar embedding. One of the sugars often used to embed 2D crystals is trehalose, a disaccharide used by many organisms for protection against stress conditions. Sugars such as trehalose can also be added to negative staining solutions used to prepare proteins and macromolecular complexes for structural studies by single-particle electron microscopy (EM). In this review, we describe trehalose and its characteristics that make it so well suited for preparation of EM specimens and we review specimen preparation methods with a focus on the use of trehalose.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	762-772
Number of pages	11
Journal	Micron
Volume	42
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2011.06.005
State	Published - Dec 2011
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Electron crystallography
Negative staining
Single-particle EM
Specimen preparation
Sugar embedding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Structural Biology
General Materials Science
General Physics and Astronomy
Cell Biology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.micron.2011.06.005

Cite this

@article{0a94da27e98441a8955c988f092f9d08,

title = "The use of trehalose in the preparation of specimens for molecular electron microscopy",

abstract = "Biological specimens have to be prepared for imaging in the electron microscope in a way that preserves their native structure. Two-dimensional (2D) protein crystals to be analyzed by electron crystallography are best preserved by sugar embedding. One of the sugars often used to embed 2D crystals is trehalose, a disaccharide used by many organisms for protection against stress conditions. Sugars such as trehalose can also be added to negative staining solutions used to prepare proteins and macromolecular complexes for structural studies by single-particle electron microscopy (EM). In this review, we describe trehalose and its characteristics that make it so well suited for preparation of EM specimens and we review specimen preparation methods with a focus on the use of trehalose.",

keywords = "Electron crystallography, Negative staining, Single-particle EM, Specimen preparation, Sugar embedding",

author = "Chiu, {Po Lin} and Kelly, {Deborah F.} and Thomas Walz",

note = "Funding Information: Work in the Walz laboratory is supported by NIH grants P01 GM062580 (to Stephen C. Harrison), R01 GM082927 and R01 EY015107 . TW is an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.",

year = "2011",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.micron.2011.06.005",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "42",

pages = "762--772",

journal = "Micron",

issn = "0968-4328",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The use of trehalose in the preparation of specimens for molecular electron microscopy

AU - Chiu, Po Lin

AU - Kelly, Deborah F.

AU - Walz, Thomas

N1 - Funding Information: Work in the Walz laboratory is supported by NIH grants P01 GM062580 (to Stephen C. Harrison), R01 GM082927 and R01 EY015107 . TW is an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

PY - 2011/12

Y1 - 2011/12

N2 - Biological specimens have to be prepared for imaging in the electron microscope in a way that preserves their native structure. Two-dimensional (2D) protein crystals to be analyzed by electron crystallography are best preserved by sugar embedding. One of the sugars often used to embed 2D crystals is trehalose, a disaccharide used by many organisms for protection against stress conditions. Sugars such as trehalose can also be added to negative staining solutions used to prepare proteins and macromolecular complexes for structural studies by single-particle electron microscopy (EM). In this review, we describe trehalose and its characteristics that make it so well suited for preparation of EM specimens and we review specimen preparation methods with a focus on the use of trehalose.

AB - Biological specimens have to be prepared for imaging in the electron microscope in a way that preserves their native structure. Two-dimensional (2D) protein crystals to be analyzed by electron crystallography are best preserved by sugar embedding. One of the sugars often used to embed 2D crystals is trehalose, a disaccharide used by many organisms for protection against stress conditions. Sugars such as trehalose can also be added to negative staining solutions used to prepare proteins and macromolecular complexes for structural studies by single-particle electron microscopy (EM). In this review, we describe trehalose and its characteristics that make it so well suited for preparation of EM specimens and we review specimen preparation methods with a focus on the use of trehalose.

KW - Electron crystallography

KW - Negative staining

KW - Single-particle EM

KW - Specimen preparation

KW - Sugar embedding

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80051591706&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80051591706&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.micron.2011.06.005

DO - 10.1016/j.micron.2011.06.005

M3 - Review article

C2 - 21752659

AN - SCOPUS:80051591706

SN - 0968-4328

VL - 42

SP - 762

EP - 772

JO - Micron

JF - Micron

IS - 8

ER -

The use of trehalose in the preparation of specimens for molecular electron microscopy

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this