TY - JOUR
T1 - Biomineralization pathways in a foraminifer revealed using a novel correlative cryo-fluorescence–SEM–EDS technique
AU - Khalifa, Gal Mor
AU - Kirchenbuechler, David
AU - Koifman, Naama
AU - Kleinerman, Olga
AU - Talmon, Yeshayahu
AU - Elbaum, Michael
AU - Addadi, Lia
AU - Weiner, Steve
AU - Erez, Jonathan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - Foraminifera are marine protozoans that are widespread in oceans throughout the world. Understanding biomineralization pathways in foraminifera is particularly important because their calcitic shells are major components of global calcium carbonate production. We introduce here a novel correlative approach combining cryo-SEM, cryo-fluorescence imaging and cryo-EDS. This approach is applied to the study of ion transport processes in the benthic foraminifer genus Amphistegina. We confirm the presence of large sea water vacuoles previously identified in intact and partially decalcified Amphistegina lobifera specimens. We observed relatively small vesicles that were labelled strongly with calcein, and also identified magnesium (Mg)-rich mineral particles in the cytoplasm, as well as in the large sea water vacuoles. The combination of cryo-microscopy with elemental microanalysis and fluorescence imaging reveals new aspects of the biomineralization pathway in foraminifera which are, to date, unique in the world of biomineralization. This approach is equally applicable to the study of biomineralization pathways in other organisms.
AB - Foraminifera are marine protozoans that are widespread in oceans throughout the world. Understanding biomineralization pathways in foraminifera is particularly important because their calcitic shells are major components of global calcium carbonate production. We introduce here a novel correlative approach combining cryo-SEM, cryo-fluorescence imaging and cryo-EDS. This approach is applied to the study of ion transport processes in the benthic foraminifer genus Amphistegina. We confirm the presence of large sea water vacuoles previously identified in intact and partially decalcified Amphistegina lobifera specimens. We observed relatively small vesicles that were labelled strongly with calcein, and also identified magnesium (Mg)-rich mineral particles in the cytoplasm, as well as in the large sea water vacuoles. The combination of cryo-microscopy with elemental microanalysis and fluorescence imaging reveals new aspects of the biomineralization pathway in foraminifera which are, to date, unique in the world of biomineralization. This approach is equally applicable to the study of biomineralization pathways in other organisms.
KW - Biomineralization pathways
KW - Correlative microscopy
KW - Foraminifera
KW - Magnesium
KW - Shell formation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84956689780&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsb.2016.01.015
DO - 10.1016/j.jsb.2016.01.015
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
C2 - 26828113
AN - SCOPUS:84956689780
SN - 1047-8477
VL - 196
SP - 155
EP - 163
JO - Journal of Structural Biology
JF - Journal of Structural Biology
IS - 2
ER -