Super-resolution imaging of nuclear bodies by STED microscopy

The sizes of nuclear bodies and other nuclear structures are normally no more than a few hundred nanometers. This size is below the resolution limit of light microscopy and thus requires electron microscopy for direct observation. Recent developments in super-resolution microscopy have extended the resolution of light microscopy to beyond 100 nm. Here, we describe a super-resolution technique, gated STED, for the analysis of the structure of nuclear bodies, with emphasis on the sample preparation and other technical tips that are important to obtain high-quality super-resolution images.