Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32131546›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2020

Visualizing the Synaptic and Cellular Ultrastructure in Neurons Differentiated from Human Induced Neural Stem Cells-An Optimized Protocol.

Philipp Capetian, Lorenz Müller, Jens Volkmann, Manfred Heckmann, Süleyman Ergün, Nicole Wagner

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Variant-to-gene mapping identifiesbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Philipp CapetianDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-1712-3659
Lorenz MüllerDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Jens VolkmannDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Manfred HeckmannInstitute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
Süleyman ErgünInstitute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
Nicole WagnerInstitute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.

Funding

BMBF 01GM1514AIZKF Würzburg Z3-61
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The size of the synaptic subcomponents falls below the limits of visible light microscopy. Despite new developments in advanced microscopy techniques, the resolution of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) remains unsurpassed. The requirements of tissue preservation are very high, and human post mortem material often does not offer adequate quality. However, new reprogramming techniques that generate human neurons in vitro provide samples that can easily fulfill these requirements. The objective of this study was to identify the culture technique with the best ultrastructural preservation in combination with the best embedding and contrasting technique for visualizing neuronal elements. Two induced neural stem cell lines derived from healthy control subjects underwent differentiation either adherent on glass coverslips, embedded in a droplet of highly concentrated Matrigel, or as a compact neurosphere. Afterward, they were fixed using a combination of glutaraldehyde (GA) and paraformaldehyde (PFA) followed by three approaches (standard stain, Ruthenium red stain, high contrast en-bloc stain) using different combinations of membrane enhancing and contrasting steps before ultrathin sectioning and imaging by TEM. The compact free-floating neurospheres exhibited the best ultrastructural preservation. High-contrast en-bloc stain offered particularly sharp staining of membrane structures and the highest quality visualization of neuronal structures. In conclusion, compact neurospheres growing under free-floating conditions in combination with a high contrast en-bloc staining protocol, offer the optimal preservation and contrast with a particular focus on visualizing membrane structures as required for analyzing synaptic structures.

Indexed as

Cells, CulturedCellular Reprogramming TechniquesHumansMicroscopy, Electron, TransmissionNeural Stem CellsNeurogenesisSynapseshigh contrasthuman neuronsinduced neural stem cellssynapsesynaptic vesiclestransmission electron microscopy

Identifiers

PMID32131546
PMCPMC7084184

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.