Use of electron microscopy to study megakaryocytes

Abstract

Electron microscopy (EM) has a long history in megakaryocyte (MK) cellular biology. This chapter shows how the electron microscope, since its first appearance almost 90 years ago, has occupied center stage in the studies of MK morphology and function. It describes some of the more productive EM techniques that have shaped our understanding of the physiology of thrombopoiesis. These include the standard transmission and scanning EM techniques as well as the new imaging methods, correlative microscopy and volume EM which provide information on the 3D organization of MKs on different scales: single organelles, whole cells and tissues. For each technique, we list the advantages and limitations, the resolution that can be achieved, the technical difficulties and the applications in MK biology.

Keywords:

• Bone marrow
• correlative light electron microscopy
• electron microscopy
• megakaryocytes

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank François Lanza and Henri de la Salle for critical reading of the chapter. We are grateful to ARMESA (Association de Recherche et Développement en Médecine et Santé Publique) and to the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for EM equipments funding. We thank the ANR (Agence National de la Recherche) for grant support (ANR-17-CE14-0001-01).

Authors’ contributions

A.E., M.E., C.S., F.P., and J.Y.R. performed the EM and IF experiments; A.E. wrote the review;C.G. revised and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interests

The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare.