Title
Freeze Substitution Accelerated via Agitation: New Prospects for Ultrastructural Studies of Lichen Symbionts and Their Extracellular Matrix
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Abstract
(1) Background: Lichens, as an important part of the terrestrial ecosystem, attract the attention of various research disciplines. To elucidate their ultrastructure, transmission electron microscopy of resin-embedded samples is indispensable. Since most observations of lichen samples are generated via chemical fixation and processing at room temperature, they lack the rapid immobilization of live processes and are prone to preparation artefacts. To improve their preservation, cryoprocessing was tested in the past, but never widely implemented, not least because of an extremely lengthy protocol. (2) Methods: Here, we introduce an accelerated automated freeze substitution protocol with continuous agitation. Using the example of three lichen species, we demonstrate the preservation of the native state of algal photobionts and mycobionts in association with their extracellular matrix. (3) Results: We bring to attention the extent and the structural variability of the hyphae, the extracellular matrix and numerous crystallized metabolites. Our findings will encourage studies on transformation processes related to the compartmentation of lichen thalli. They include cryopreserved aspects of algal photobionts and observations of putative physiological relevance, such as the arrangement of numerous mitochondria within chloroplast pockets. (4) Conclusions: In summary, we present accelerated freeze substitution as a very useful tool for systematic studies of lichen ultrastructures.
Keywords
lichensalgal photobiontsextracellular matrixfreeze substitutionsample preparationtransmission electron microscopy
Object type
Language
English [eng]
Persistent identifier
https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:2044435
Appeared in
Title
Plants
Volume
12
Issue
23
ISSN
2223-7747
Issued
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
Date issued
2023
Access rights
Rights statement
© 2023 by the authors

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