title: Three-dimensional architecture of podocytes revealed by block-face scanning electron microscopy.
abstract: Block-face imaging is a scanning electron microscopic technique which enables easier acquisition of serial ultrastructural images directly from the surface of resin-embedded biological samples with a similar quality to transmission electron micrographs. In the present study, we analyzed the three-dimensional architecture of podocytes using serial block-face imaging. It was previously believed that podocytes are divided into three kinds of subcellular compartment: cell body, primary process, and foot process, which are simply aligned in this order. When the reconstructed podocytes were viewed from their basal side, the foot processes were branched from a ridge-like prominence, which was formed on the basal surface of the primary process and was similar to the usual foot processes in structure. Moreover, from the cell body, the foot processes were also emerged via the ridge-like prominence, as found in the primary process. The ridge-like prominence anchored the cell body and primary process to the glomerular basement membrane, and connected the foot processes to the cell body and primary process. In conclusion, serial block-face imaging is a powerful tool for clear understanding the three-dimensional architecture of podocytes through its ability to reveal novel structures which were difficult to determine by conventional transmission and scanning electron microscopes alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Life Structure, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: FEI Company Japan Ltd., NanoPort Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadayama
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan [2] Laboratory of Morphology and Image Analysis, Center for Biomedical Research Resources, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.affiliation: Division of Microscopic and Developmental Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei-Ichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Division of Microscopic and Developmental Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Life Structure, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D050199:Podocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats