title: Imaging of vascular smooth muscle cells with soft X-ray spectromicroscopy.
abstract: Using X-ray microscopy and spectromicroscopy, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were imaged, prepared without using additional embedding material or staining, but by applying simple, noncryo fixation techniques. The cells were imaged with a compact source transmission X-ray microscope and a scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM). With the STXM, spectromicroscopy was performed at the C K-edge and the Ca L(III,II)-edges. VSMCs were chosen because of their high amount of actin stress fibers, so that the actin cytoskeleton should be visible. Other parts of the cell, such as the nucleus and organelles, were also identified from the micrographs. Both in the spectra and the images, the effects of the different preparation procedures were observable. Furthermore, Ca hotspots were detected and their density is determined.
authors: Institute for X-Ray Physics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Pl. 1, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany. jsedlma@gwdg.de
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Sedlmair
authors: Sophie-Charlotte
authors: SC
authors: Gleber
authors: Semra Öztürk
authors: SÖ
authors: Mert
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Bertilson
authors: Olov
authors: O
authors: von Hofsten
authors: Jürgen
authors: J
authors: Thieme
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Pfohl
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology*; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016707:Tissue Fixation; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium