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Updated: Feb 4, 2026
09:45
Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy in Three In Vitro Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi
Published on: May 12, 2023
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A Practical Guide to Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy (U-ExM) in Trypanosoma brucei
Bernardo Papini Gabiatti1,2, Athina Paterou3, Silke Braune4
1Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. bgabiatti@embl.fr.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|February 2, 2026
Summary
Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy (U-ExM) enhances protein detection resolution to 70-50 nm. This method, applied to Trypanosoma brucei, reveals detailed nuclear pore and cytoskeleton structures, adaptable to Euglenozoa.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Microscopy Techniques
Background:
- Expansion Microscopy (ExM) offers super-resolution imaging with conventional microscopes.
- ExM involves anchoring cellular macromolecules, embedding them in a polymer, and expanding the structure.
- Labeling can occur before or after expansion, impacting resolution and applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy (U-ExM) for high-resolution protein detection.
- To investigate the nuclear pore complex and cytoskeleton in Trypanosoma brucei using U-ExM.
- To assess the adaptability of U-ExM to Euglenozoa.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy (U-ExM) with post-expansion labeling.
- Achieved a resolution of 70-50 nm.
- Applied U-ExM to study Trypanosoma brucei cellular components.
Main Results:
- U-ExM provided enhanced resolution compared to pre-expansion labeling.
- Successfully visualized nuclear pore complex and cytoskeleton structures in Trypanosoma brucei.
- Demonstrated reduced molecular crowding, enabling staining in organisms with complex extracellular matrices.
Conclusions:
- U-ExM is a powerful technique for high-resolution protein imaging.
- The method is suitable for studying organisms with challenging cellular structures like Trypanosoma brucei.
- U-ExM shows broad adaptability across Euglenozoa.
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