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A carbon nanotube tape for serial-section electron microscopy of brain ultrastructure

Author

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  • Yoshiyuki Kubota

    (Division of Cerebral Circuitry, National Institute for Physiological Sciences
    The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI))

  • Jaerin Sohn

    (Division of Cerebral Circuitry, National Institute for Physiological Sciences
    Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS))

  • Sayuri Hatada

    (Division of Cerebral Circuitry, National Institute for Physiological Sciences)

  • Meike Schurr

    (Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research)

  • Jakob Straehle

    (Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research)

  • Anjali Gour

    (Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research)

  • Ralph Neujahr

    (Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, ZEISS Microscopy Customer Center Europe)

  • Takafumi Miki

    (Doshisha University)

  • Shawn Mikula

    (Electrons–Photons–Neurons, Max-Planck Institute of Neurobiology)

  • Yasuo Kawaguchi

    (Division of Cerebral Circuitry, National Institute for Physiological Sciences
    The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI))

Abstract

Automated tape-collecting ultramicrotomy in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a powerful approach for volume electron microscopy and three-dimensional neuronal circuit analysis. Current tapes are limited by section wrinkle formation, surface scratches and sample charging during imaging. Here we show that a plasma-hydrophilized carbon nanotube (CNT)-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tape effectively resolves these issues and produces SEM images of comparable quality to those from transmission electron microscopy. CNT tape can withstand multiple rounds of imaging, offer low surface resistance across the entire tape length and generate no wrinkles during the collection of ultrathin sections. When combined with an enhanced en bloc staining protocol, CNT tape-processed brain sections reveal detailed synaptic ultrastructure. In addition, CNT tape is compatible with post-embedding immunostaining for light and electron microscopy. We conclude that CNT tape can enable high-resolution volume electron microscopy for brain ultrastructure analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoshiyuki Kubota & Jaerin Sohn & Sayuri Hatada & Meike Schurr & Jakob Straehle & Anjali Gour & Ralph Neujahr & Takafumi Miki & Shawn Mikula & Yasuo Kawaguchi, 2018. "A carbon nanotube tape for serial-section electron microscopy of brain ultrastructure," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-02768-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02768-7
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