title: Imaging the cell surface: argon sputtering to expose inner cell structures.
abstract: Established microscopies such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and more recent developments such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photo-Electron Emission spectroMicroscopy (X-PEEM) can only image the sample surface. We present an argon sputtering method able to progressively expose inner cell structures without apparent damage. By varying the sputtering time, the structure of cell cytoskeleton, vesicles, mitochondria, nuclear membrane, and nucleoli can be imaged. We compared images obtained with confocal fluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), SEM, and X-PEEM on similar samples after argon sputtering, then confirmed the similarity of reference intracellular structures, including cytoskeleton fibers, cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion structures, and secretory vesicles. We conclude that the sputtering method is a new valuable tool for surface sensitive microscopies.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Physics and Synchrotron Radiation Center, Stoughton, Wisconsin 53589, USA. pupa@src.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Gelsomina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Stasio
authors.forename: Bradley H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Frazer
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girasole
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.forename: Ewa K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Krasnowska
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: Annalucia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serafino
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parasassi
mesh_terms: D001128:Argon; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002477:Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D001128:Argon