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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
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Published on: July 15, 2021
Multiple-axis tomography: applications to basal bodies from Paramecium tetraurelia
Cédric Messaoudi1, Nicole Garreau de Loubresse, Thomas Boudier
1INSERM U759, Imagerie intégrative, 91405 Orsay, France, and Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Laboratoire Raymond Latarjet, Centre Universitaire d'Orsay, France.
Background Information:
Transmission electron tomography is becoming a powerful tool for studying subcellular components of cells. Classical approaches for electron tomography consist of recording images along a single-tilt axis. This approach is being improved by dual-axis reconstructions and/or high-tilt devices (tilt angle>+/-60 degrees) on microscopes to compensate part of the information loss due to the 'missing wedge' phenomena.
Results:
In the present work we have evaluated the extension of the dual-axis technique to a multiple-axis approach, and we demonstrate a freely available plug-in for the Java-based freeware image-analysis software ImageJ. Our results from phantom and experimental data sets from Paramecium tetraurelia epon-embedded sections have shown that multiple-axis tomography achieves results equivalent to those obtained by dual-axis approach without the requirement for high-tilt devices.
Conclusions:
This new approach allows performance of high-resolution tomography, avoiding the need for high-tilt devices, and therefore will increase the access of electron tomography to a larger community.
