Mitochondrial cristae revealed with focused light

Authors:

Schmidt, R., Wurm, C. A., Punge, A., Egner, A., Jakobs, S., & Hell, S. W.

Keywords:

Cristae, mitochondria

Abstract:

Because of the diffraction resolution barrier, optical microscopes have so far failed in visualizing the mitochondrial cristae, that is, the folds of the inner membrane of this 200 to 400 nm diameter sized tubular organelle. Realizing a ∼30 nm isotropic subdiffraction resolution in isoSTED fluorescence nanoscopy, we have visualized these essential structures in the mitochondria of intact cells. We find a pronounced heterogeneity in the cristae arrangements even within individual mitochondrial tubules.

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