Automated Transmission-Mode Scanning Electron Microscopy (tSEM) for Large Volume Analysis at Nanoscale Resolution
Figure 3
Quality comparison of images acquired on tSEM vs. TEM.
Serial section images from the middle molecular layer of the hippocampal dentate gyrus acquired on a TEM (A1–3) and tSEM (B1–3). They were taken as 8-bit grayscale images, and the brightness and contrast were then adjusted to match the images from the two different EM platforms. A1–3: An obliquely cut dendrite (den1) gives rise to a mushroom-shaped spine (sp1) with postsynaptic density (PSD), making a synapse with an axonal bouton (b) containing synaptic vesicles (SV). This bouton also makes a synapse with another spine (sp2). These spines and bouton are wrapped around by an astrocytic process that contains glycogen granules (G) and polyribosomes (PR). A tubule of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and mitochondrion (mito) are located in the dendritic shaft. Cross-sectioned microtubules (mt) are clearly visible in an adjacent dendrite (den2), which also contains a mitochondrion (mito). B1–3: A mushroom-shaped spine (sp) on a dendrite (den) makes a synapse with a thickened PSD on an axonal bouton (b) containing synaptic vesicles (SV). A tubule of SER is visible at the base of this spine, along with a cluster of polyribosomes (PR). Cross-sectioned microtubules (mt) are also visible in this dendrite, which also contains a mitochondrion (mito). Clusters of polyribosomes (PR) are visible adjacent to a mitochondrion (in B2–3). Glycogen granules (G) are found in a neighboring astrocytic process (a). The original pixels are retained in all images in this figure. Only brightness and contrast were adjusted to match images acquired on the two EM platforms.