title: Scanning electron microscopy of nuclear structure.
abstract: Accessing internal structure and retaining relative three dimensional (3D) organization within the nucleus has always proved difficult in the electron microscope. This is due to the overall size and largely fibrous nature of the contents, making large scale 3D reconstructions difficult from thin sections using transmission electron microscopy. This chapter brings together a number of methods developed for visualization of nuclear structure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These methods utilize the easily accessed high resolution available in field emission instruments. Surface imaging has proved particularly useful to date in studies of the nuclear envelope and pore complexes, and has also shown promise for internal nuclear organization, including the dynamic and radical reorganization of structure during cell division. Consequently, surface imaging in the SEM has the potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of nuclear structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Cell Biology, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Terence D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Sandra A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Sheona P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.forename: Martin W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kiseleva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods*; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014982:Xenopus laevis