Imaging the inner structure of chromosomes: contribution of focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy to chromosome research

Dwiranti, Astari; Arifudin, Fendi Sofyan; Wako, Toshiyuki; Fukui, Kiichi

doi:10.1007/s10577-021-09650-9

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Published: 15 February 2021

Imaging the inner structure of chromosomes: contribution of focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy to chromosome research

Astari Dwiranti ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0105-2748¹,
Fendi Sofyan Arifudin¹,
Toshiyuki Wako² &
Kiichi Fukui³

Chromosome Research volume 29, pages 51–62 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Visualization of the chromosome ultrastructure has revealed new insights into its structural and functional properties. The use of new methods for revealing not only the surface but also the inner structure of the chromosome has been emerged. Some methods have long been used, such as conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although it has indispensably contributed to the revelation of the ultrastructure of the various biological samples, including chromosomes, some challenges have also been encountered, such as laborious sample preparation, limited view areas, and loss of information on some parts due to ultramicrotome sectioning. Therefore, a more advanced method is needed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is also advantageous in the surface visualization of chromosome samples. However, it is limited by accessibility to gain the inner structure information. Focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) provides a way to investigate the inner structure of the samples in a direct slice-and-view manner to observe the ultrastructure of the inner part of the sample continuously and further construct a three-dimensional image. This method has long been used in the material science field, and recently, it has also been applied to biological research, such as in showing the inner structure of chromosomes. This review article presents the contributions of this new method to chromosome research and its recent developments in the inner structure of chromosome and discusses its current and potential applications to the high-resolution imaging of chromosomes.

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Abbreviations

BSE:: Backscatter electron
Ca²⁺ :: Calcium ions
CENH3:: Centromere-correlated histone variants (phosphorylated histone H3)
DNA:: Deoxyribonucleic acid
3D:: Three-dimensional
3D-SIM:: 3D-Structured illumination microscopy
FESEM:: Field emission scanning electron microscopy
FIB/SEM:: Focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy
Ga:: Gallium
KIF4:: Kinesin family member 4
Mg²⁺ :: Magnesium ions
SE:: Secondary electron
SEM:: Scanning electron microscopy
TEM:: Transmission electron microscopy
TopoIIα:: Topoisomerase IIα

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Authors and Affiliations

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms in Biological System (CEMBIOS) Research Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, Depok Campus, West Java, 16424, Indonesia
Astari Dwiranti & Fendi Sofyan Arifudin
Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8602, Japan
Toshiyuki Wako
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
Kiichi Fukui

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Astari Dwiranti
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Fendi Sofyan Arifudin
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Toshiyuki Wako
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Kiichi Fukui
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Correspondence to Astari Dwiranti.

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Dwiranti, A., Arifudin, F.S., Wako, T. et al. Imaging the inner structure of chromosomes: contribution of focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy to chromosome research. Chromosome Res 29, 51–62 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-021-09650-9

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Received: 20 November 2020
Revised: 26 January 2021
Accepted: 27 January 2021
Published: 15 February 2021
Issue Date: March 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-021-09650-9

Keywords

Chromosome
Focused Ion Beam/Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB/SEM)
Inner Structure
Ionic Liquid