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Protein and Protein Structure

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Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Imaging Dendritic Spines of Rat Primary Hippocampal Neurons using Structured Illumination Microscopy

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Published on: May 4, 2014

Combined expansion microscopy with structured illumination microscopy for analyzing protein complexes.

Yongfu Wang¹, Zulin Yu², Cori K Cahoon³

¹Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA. yow@stowers.org.

Nature Protocols

|August 4, 2018

Summary

A new expansion microscopy (ExM) protocol combined with structured illumination microscopy (SIM) achieves super-resolution imaging of protein complexes. This ExM-SIM method enables detailed 3D mapping of protein organization at 30-nm resolution.

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Last Updated: Feb 7, 2026

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Published on: May 4, 2014

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Microscopy
Biophysics

Background:

Precise imaging of protein complex organization is crucial for understanding cellular functions.
Conventional light microscopy has resolution limitations for visualizing intricate molecular structures.
Expansion Microscopy (ExM) offers a solution by physically enlarging biological samples.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a protocol for super-resolution Expansion Microscopy combined with Structured Illumination Microscopy (ExM-SIM).
To enable high-resolution 3D analysis of multiprotein complex organization.
To detail a method for precise protein localization within complexes.

Main Methods:

Embedding biological samples in hydrogels for uniform physical expansion.
Utilizing protease digestion and sequential antibody labeling for enhanced signal.
Integrating ExM with Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) for super-resolution imaging.
Cryosectioning of expanded hydrogels for 3D analysis.

Main Results:

Achieved ~30-nm lateral (xy) resolution for multiprotein complexes.
Successfully mapped the 3D organization of the Drosophila synaptonemal complex (SC).
Demonstrated compatibility with thick tissues like brain and organs.

Conclusions:

ExM-SIM provides a powerful tool for high-resolution 3D protein localization.
The protocol is adaptable for diverse biological systems and thick tissues.
This technique advances the study of complex molecular architectures in situ.