Linked Life Data

19220692

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/19220692

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-2-17
pubmed:abstractText
The preparation of plant leaf material for transmission electron microscopical investigations can be a very time- and labour-consuming task as the reagents infiltrate the samples quite slowly and as usually most steps have to be performed manually. Fixation, buffer washes, dehydration, resin infiltration and polymerization of the resin-infiltrated leaf samples can take several days before the specimen can be cut ultrathin and used for ultrastructural investigations. In this study, we present a microwave-assisted automated sample preparation procedure that reduces preparation time from at least 3 days to about 5 h - with only a few steps that have to be performed manually - until the plant sample can be ultrathin sectioned and observed with the transmission electron microscope. For studying the efficiency of this method we have compared the ultrastructure of different leaf material (Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana tabacum and Picea abies) which was prepared with a conventional, well-established chemical fixation and embedding protocol and a commercially available automated microwave tissue processor. Despite the massive reduction in sample preparation time no negative effects on cutting properties of the blocks, stability of the sections in the electron beam, contrast and ultrastructure of the cells were observed under the transmission electron microscope when samples were prepared with the microwave-assisted protocol. Additionally, no negative effects were detected on the dimensions of fine structures of grana stacks (including membranes, inter- and intrathylakoidal spaces), the nuclear envelope and the plasma membrane as the diameter of these structural components did not differ between leaf samples (of the same species) that were processed with the automated microwave tissue processor or by conventional fixation and embedding at room temperature.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
1365-2818
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
233
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
258-68
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Microwave-assisted rapid plant sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy.
pubmed:affiliation
University of Graz, Institute of Plant Sciences, Schubertstrasse 51, 8010 Graz, Austria. bernd.zechmann@uni-graz.at
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Evaluation Studies