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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Microcrystallography of Protein Crystals and In Cellulo Diffraction
Published on: July 21, 2017
Studies on intracellular structures of COS cells by X-ray microscopy
A Yamamoto1, R Masaki, P Guttmann
1Department of Physiology, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8506, Japan.
Abstract:
COS-7 cells, fixed with glutaraldehyde, were studied using the transmission X-ray microscope at the electron storage ring BESSY, Berlin. The border of the cell, the nucleus, nucleoli and mitochondria of the cells were clearly visualized with the X-ray microscope. In addition, we found many X-ray dense granules preferentially located around the nucleus. Electron microscopy showed that numerous multivesicular bodies, whose structures belong to the endosome-lysosomal system, were present around the nucleus. The size and localization patterns of the X-ray dense granules were quite similar to those of multivesicular bodies. These results strongly suggest that the X-ray dense granules are multivesicular bodies.
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