title: Near-infrared branding efficiently correlates light and electron microscopy.
abstract: The correlation of light and electron microscopy of complex tissues remains a major challenge. Here we report near-infrared branding (NIRB), which facilitates such correlation by using a pulsed, near-infrared laser to create defined fiducial marks in three dimensions in fixed tissue. As these marks are fluorescent and can be photo-oxidized to generate electron contrast, they can guide re-identification of previously imaged structures as small as dendritic spines by electron microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Muncie, Muncie, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Derron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nikić
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brinkoetter
authors.forename: Sharmon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Potz
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kerschensteiner
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Misgeld
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004583:Electrons; D057918:Fiducial Markers; D005453:Fluorescence; D007259:Infrared Rays; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007834:Lasers; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008264:Macrophages / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods*; D016707:Tissue Fixation