Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction01:07

Electron Microscope Tomography and Single-particle Reconstruction

3.0K
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine the 3D structure of biological samples with the help of techniques such as electron microscope tomography and single-particle reconstruction. While single-particle reconstruction can examine macromolecules and macromolecular complexes in vitro conditions only, tomography permits the study of cell components or small cells in vivo.
Electron Tomography
Electron tomography can be performed either in TEM or STEM (scanning transmission...
3.0K
Cryo-electron Microscopy01:28

Cryo-electron Microscopy

4.6K
Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
4.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Artificial Intelligence for Discovery in Life Sciences.

Bioconjugate chemistry·2026
Same author

Thousandfold Expansion Microscopy.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A versatile nanobody platform for live and super-resolution imaging of synaptic vesicle dynamics and plasticity in rodent and human neurons.

Journal of nanobiotechnology·2026
Same author

Generation of marmoset monkeys with a non-mosaic disruption of the OTOF gene as a model of human deafness.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Structural remodeling of the mitochondrial protein biogenesis machinery under proteostatic stress.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Encephalopathy-linked UFM1 variants impede neuronal protein translation, development, and function.

EMBO molecular medicine·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Strategies for Optimization of Cryogenic Electron Tomography Data Acquisition
08:16

Strategies for Optimization of Cryogenic Electron Tomography Data Acquisition

Published on: March 19, 2021

5.0K

A correlative workflow for synaptic imaging by cryo-electron tomography.

Thanh Thao Do1, Anna Siegert1, Florelle Domart2

  • 1Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.

Structure (London, England : 1993)
|March 25, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) method to visualize the molecular details of synapses. This technique enables in situ structural studies of synaptic protein complexes, advancing our understanding of synapse organization.

Keywords:
PSD-95TRiCcryo-CLEMcryo-ETmicrotubuleribosomesubtomogram averagingsynapsesynaptic vesiclessynaptotagmin-1

More Related Videos

Correlative Microscopy for 3D Structural Analysis of Dynamic Interactions
13:43

Correlative Microscopy for 3D Structural Analysis of Dynamic Interactions

Published on: June 24, 2013

14.6K
Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging
08:55

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

Published on: July 12, 2022

6.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Strategies for Optimization of Cryogenic Electron Tomography Data Acquisition
08:16

Strategies for Optimization of Cryogenic Electron Tomography Data Acquisition

Published on: March 19, 2021

5.0K
Correlative Microscopy for 3D Structural Analysis of Dynamic Interactions
13:43

Correlative Microscopy for 3D Structural Analysis of Dynamic Interactions

Published on: June 24, 2013

14.6K
Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging
08:55

Cryo-Electron Tomography Remote Data Collection and Subtomogram Averaging

Published on: July 12, 2022

6.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The molecular organization of synapses remains poorly understood despite extensive research.
  • High-resolution imaging techniques are needed to map synaptic architecture.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a systematic imaging method for synapses using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET).
  • To enable in situ structural studies of synaptic protein complexes.

Main Methods:

  • Established a correlative cryo-light/electron microscopy approach for synaptic targeting.
  • Used fluorescent labeling targeting PSD-95 and synaptotagmin-1 for minimally invasive synapse identification.
  • Employed cryo-focused ion beam milling for sample thinning prior to cryo-ET.

Main Results:

  • Cryo-ET imaging successfully mapped cellular architecture at molecular resolution.
  • The method predominantly revealed excitatory synapses at sites of colocalization.
  • Enabled structural studies of synapse-resident protein complexes in situ.

Conclusions:

  • The developed cryo-ET method facilitates systematic imaging and structural investigation of synapses.
  • This approach advances the understanding of molecular architecture within synapses.
  • Provides a powerful tool for studying synaptic organization at molecular resolution.