Using Light and Electron Microscopy to Estimate Structural Variation in Thylakoid Membranes

The shapes of chloroplasts and the architectures of internal thylakoid membranes are altered by growth and environmental changes ( Lichtenthaler et al., 1981 ; Kutik, 1985; Terashima and Hikosaka, 1995). These morphological alterations proceed via transitional intermediates, during which dynamic and heterogeneous thylakoid membranes are observed in cells ( Nozue et al., 2017 ). Light microscopy is useful for the detection of morphological differences in chloroplasts. The thylakoid architecture of such morphologically variable chloroplasts is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The method of monitoring structural variation by light microscopy in combination with electron microscopy is described.