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Nuclear Pore Complex Structure and Plasticity Revealed by Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy

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Xenopus Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 322))

Abstract

To study the ultrastructure of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), a wide spectrum of different electron microscopy (EM) or atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques can be employed. The combination of these methods can reveal new insights into the structural and functional organization of this important supramolecular machine through which nucleocytoplasmic transport occurs. Negative staining, quick freezing/freeze-drying/rotary metal shadowing, embedding and thin sectioning, cryoelectron microscopy and tomography, scanning electron microscopy, or combination with immunolabeling techniques are tools for collecting data and information about the three-dimensional structure and architecture of the NPCs. AFM enables investigation of the functional dynamics of native NPCs under physiological conditions.

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© 2006 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Maco, B., Fahrenkrog, B., Huang, NP., Aebi, U. (2006). Nuclear Pore Complex Structure and Plasticity Revealed by Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy. In: Liu, X.J. (eds) Xenopus Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 322. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-000-3_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-000-3_19

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-362-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-000-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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