Biomaterial Database

A method for staining actin-containing structures in thick plastic sections for medium voltage electron microscopy. 1984

J M Smith

A staining procedure has been developed for imaging actin-containing structures in thick plastic sections in the electron microscope. The stress fibres of a fibroblastic cell line were used as a model system, and were first characterized immunocytochemically. After fixation of cells in formaldehyde, mordanting in a solution of gadolinium chloride allows stress fibres to be stained for light microscopy with haematoxylin. A brief exposure to a solution of ammonium paramolybdate renders haematoxylin-stained structures sufficiently electron-dense to be imaged in 1 micron thick plastic sections in a JEOL 200CX electron microscope, operating at 200 kV, and possibly in conventional instruments operating at 100 kV, particularly if equipped with a lanthanum hexaboride source.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D002460	Cell Line	Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely.	Cell Lines,Line, Cell,Lines, Cell
D003411	Arvicolinae	A subfamily of MURIDAE found nearly world-wide and consisting of about 20 genera. Voles, lemmings, and muskrats are members.	Clethrionomys,Cricetidae,Dicrostonyx,Lemmings,Lemmus,Mice, Red-Backed,Microtinae,Microtus,Muskrats,Ondatra,Voles,Arvicolines,Microtines,Mouse, Red-Backed,Myodes,Ondatra zibethicus,Arvicoline,Lemming,Mice, Red Backed,Microtine,Mouse, Red Backed,Muskrat,Red-Backed Mice,Red-Backed Mouse,Vole
D005347	Fibroblasts	Connective tissue cells which secrete an extracellular matrix rich in collagen and other macromolecules.	Fibroblast
D000199	Actins	Filamentous proteins that are the main constituent of the thin filaments of muscle fibers. The filaments (known also as filamentous or F-actin) can be dissociated into their globular subunits; each subunit is composed of a single polypeptide 375 amino acids long. This is known as globular or G-actin. In conjunction with MYOSINS, actin is responsible for the contraction and relaxation of muscle.	F-Actin,G-Actin,Actin,Isoactin,N-Actin,alpha-Actin,alpha-Isoactin,beta-Actin,gamma-Actin,F Actin,G Actin,N Actin,alpha Actin,alpha Isoactin,beta Actin,gamma Actin
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013194	Staining and Labeling	The marking of biological material with a dye or other reagent for the purpose of identifying and quantitating components of tissues, cells or their extracts.	Histological Labeling,Staining,Histological Labelings,Labeling and Staining,Labeling, Histological,Labelings, Histological,Stainings