Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
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Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy to Study Microglial Interactions with β-Amyloid Plaques
Published on: June 1, 2016
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Streamlined correlative live-confocal and SBF-SEM imaging reveals early inflammatory dendritic changes induced by
Christoph Jähnig1, Nikola Tomov1, Adolfo Odriozola1
1Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 2, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
Journal of Neuroscience Methods
|April 19, 2026
Summary
Microglia interact closely with neurons, and this study reveals how bacterial stimulation alters these contacts, causing neuronal damage. Our new imaging method visualizes these crucial microglia-neuron interactions in detail.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Microglia are immune cells in the brain that constantly monitor their environment.
- Their interactions with neurons are crucial for brain function and can be altered in neuroinflammation.
- Understanding these dynamic relationships is key to understanding microglial states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a novel workflow for visualizing microglia-neuron contacts.
- To investigate the impact of bacterial stimuli on microglia-neuron interactions at high resolution.
Main Methods:
- Correlative live-cell confocal microscopy and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM).
- This workflow enables high-resolution, 3D imaging of cellular interactions.
- Allows visualization of changes previously undetectable by light microscopy.
Main Results:
- Visualized initial membrane contact zones and organelle changes at microglia-neuron interfaces.
- Bacterial lysate and LPS stimulation induced distinct microglial activation patterns, including increased adherence to neurites and reduced motility.
- Observed local mitochondrial swelling and dendrite shrinkage following microglial attachment.
Conclusions:
- The developed workflow provides a powerful platform for studying microglia-neuron interactions.
- This method enhances the investigation of microglial functional states.
- The technique is adaptable for research beyond neuroinflammation.
