title: Label-free visualization of ultrastructural features of artificial synapses via cryo-EM.
abstract: The ultrastructural details of presynapses formed between artificial substrates of submicrometer silica beads and hippocampal neurons are visualized via cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The silica beads are derivatized by poly-d-lysine or lipid bilayers. Molecular features known to exist at presynapses are clearly present at these artificial synapses, as visualized by cryo-EM. Key synaptic features such as the membrane contact area at synaptic junctions, the presynaptic bouton containing presynaptic vesicles, as well as microtubular structures can be identified. This is the first report of the direct, label-free observation of ultrastructural details of artificial synapses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, H3A 2K6 Montreal, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, H3A 2B4 Montreal, Canada. gopakumar.gopalakrishnan@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Gopakumar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gopalakrishnan
authors.forename: Patricia T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Yam
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madwar
authors.forename: Mihnea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bostina
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rouiller
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Colman
authors.forename: R Bruce
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lennox
mesh_terms: D000345:Affinity Labels; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D000345:Affinity Labels