Near-isotropic 3D optical nanoscopy with photon-limited chromophores

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jun 1;107(22):10068-73. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1004899107. Epub 2010 May 14.

Abstract

Imaging approaches based on single molecule localization break the diffraction barrier of conventional fluorescence microscopy, allowing for bioimaging with nanometer resolution. It remains a challenge, however, to precisely localize photon-limited single molecules in 3D. We have developed a new localization-based imaging technique achieving almost isotropic subdiffraction resolution in 3D. A tilted mirror is used to generate a side view in addition to the front view of activated single emitters, allowing their 3D localization to be precisely determined for superresolution imaging. Because both front and side views are in focus, this method is able to efficiently collect emitted photons. The technique is simple to implement on a commercial fluorescence microscope, and especially suitable for biological samples with photon-limited chromophores such as endogenously expressed photoactivatable fluorescent proteins. Moreover, this method is relatively resistant to optical aberration, as it requires only centroid determination for localization analysis. Here we demonstrate the application of this method to 3D imaging of bacterial protein distribution and neuron dendritic morphology with subdiffraction resolution.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Dendrites / metabolism
  • Dendrites / ultrastructure
  • Escherichia coli K12 / genetics
  • Escherichia coli K12 / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli K12 / ultrastructure
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / instrumentation
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Nanotechnology
  • Optical Devices
  • Photons
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins