High resolution image of microtubules that sometimes extend deep into the cytosol from the basal bodies. They serve to guide the trichocysts to their docking sites at the plasma membrane (see Plattner, Westphal and Tiggemann, J. Cell Biol. 92:368-377, 1982). Immunogold labeled for anti-b-tubulin detects the location of microtubules. TEM taken on 7/5/96 by R. Allen with Zeiss 10A operating at 80kV. Neg. 7,900X.
Biological Process: Microtubule cytoskeleton organization, Microtubule basal body organization, Cortical microtubule organization
Cells were lightly fixed with 0.25% glutaraldehyde and infiltrated with 2.3M sucrose before being frozen in liquid nitrogen and thin sectioned at a temperature of –100?C at approximately 75nm thickness. Frozen sections from these preparations were then thawed, washed, and exposed to a monoclonal primary antibody that was raised in mice or rabbit/goat and to colloidal gold-complexed goat-anti-mouse/rabbit secondary antibodies. Further details of preparation are detailed in Methods Cell Biol. 2010;96:143-73. The raw film was scanned with a Nikon Coolscan 9000ED. This image is best used for quantitative analysis. Additional information available at (http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/allen/).
Author: Richard Allen (University of Hawaii)
Source: The Cell: An Image Library
