A trans-synaptic nanocolumn aligns neurotransmitter release to receptors

Recent advances in far-field fluorescence microscopy have led to substantial improvements in image resolution, achieving a near-molecular resolution of 20 to 30 nanometers in the two lateral dimensions. Three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale-resolution imaging, however, remains a challenge. We demonstrated 3D stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) by using optical astigmatism to determine both axial and lateral positions of individual fluorophores with nanometer accuracy. Iterative, stochastic activation of photoswitchable probes enables high-precision 3D localization of each probe, and thus the construction of a 3D image, without scanning the sample. Using this approach, we achieved an image resolution of 20 to 30 nanometers in the lateral dimensions and 50 to 60 nanometers in the axial dimension. This development allowed us to resolve the 3D morphology of nanoscopic cellular structures.

Direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) uses conventional fluorescent probes such as labeled antibodies or chemical tags for subdiffraction resolution fluorescence imaging with a lateral resolution of ∼20 nm. In contrast to photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) with photoactivatable fluorescent proteins, dSTORM experiments start with bright fluorescent samples in which the fluorophores have to be transferred to a stable and reversible OFF state. The OFF state has a lifetime in the range of 100 milliseconds to several seconds after irradiation with light intensities low enough to ensure minimal photodestruction. Either spontaneously or photoinduced on irradiation with a second laser wavelength, a sparse subset of fluorophores is reactivated and their positions are precisely determined. Repetitive activation, localization and deactivation allow a temporal separation of spatially unresolved structures in a reconstructed image. Here we present a step-by-step protocol for dSTORM imaging in fixed and living cells on a wide-field fluorescence microscope, with standard fluorescent probes focusing especially on the photoinduced fine adjustment of the ratio of fluorophores residing in the ON and OFF states. Furthermore, we discuss labeling strategies, acquisition parameters, and temporal and spatial resolution. The ultimate step of data acquisition and data processing can be performed in seconds to minutes.

Determination of the molecular architecture of synapses requires nanoscopic image resolution and specific molecular recognition, a task that has so far defied many conventional imaging approaches. Here, we present a superresolution fluorescence imaging method to visualize the molecular architecture of synapses in the brain. Using multicolor, three-dimensional stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, the distributions of synaptic proteins can be measured with nanometer precision. Furthermore, the wide-field, volumetric imaging method enables high-throughput, quantitative analysis of a large number of synapses from different brain regions. To demonstrate the capabilities of this approach, we have determined the organization of ten protein components of the presynaptic active zone and the postsynaptic density. Variations in synapse morphology, neurotransmitter receptor composition, and receptor distribution were observed both among synapses and across different brain regions. Combination with optogenetics further allowed molecular events associated with synaptic plasticity to be resolved at the single-synapse level. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.