Three-Dimensional Structure of Podocytes Revealed by FIB-SEM Tomography

Abstract

Podocytes, an essential cellular compartment of the glomerular filtration barrier, present a unique three-dimensional architecture specialized for their function. However, several aspects on three-dimensional morphological aspects of podocytes remain partially understood because they are difficult to reveal using conventional scanning electron microscopy. Here, we adopted FIB-SEM tomography, a powerful tool for analyzing the three-dimensional cellular ultrastructure, to precisely reveal the three-dimensional architecture of podocytes in health, development, and disease.