Abstract
Cell death is said to occur mostly by two alternative, opposite modes: apoptosis, which involves a highly genetically regulated and elaborate network of biochemical events and cascades, and necrosis, considered a passive cell death without underlying regulatory mechanisms. Here, we describe the different morphological features of cells undergoing apoptotic and necrotic cell death, through the analysis of transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy. TEM allows detailed studies of ultrastructural changes, within the cell, such as the nuclear alteration, the cytoplasmic reorganization, and the loss of membrane integrity. The cell-surface changes, including membrane blebbing and loss of features, such as microvilli, can be assessed by SEM.
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Acknowledgements
The research was supported by Urbino University and the Ministry of Education, University and Research (PRIN 2009). Dr. M. Battistelli, Dr. S. Salucci, Dr. D. Curzi, Dr. V. Baldassarri, and Mr. Aurelio Valmori are also thanked for skillful technical help.
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Burattini, S., Falcieri, E. (2013). Analysis of Cell Death by Electron Microscopy. In: McCall, K., Klein, C. (eds) Necrosis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1004. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-383-1_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-383-1_7
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