Nanoscale imaging of all anatomical structures over whole vertebrates is needed for a systematic understanding of human diseases, but this has not yet been achieved. Here, we demonstrate whole-ExM, which enables nanoscale imaging of all anatomical structures of whole zebrafish larvae by labeling the proteins of the larvae with fluorophores and expanding them four-fold. We first optimize the fluorophore selection and labeling procedure to visualize a broader range of anatomical structures. We then develop an expansion protocol for zebrafish larvae having calcified body parts. Through this process, we visualize the nanoscale details of diverse larvae organs, which have corresponding organ counterparts in humans, over the intact larvae. We show that whole-ExM retains the fluorescence signals of fluorescent proteins, and its resolution is high enough to visualize various structures that can be imaged only with electron microscopy. Whole-ExM would enable the nanoscale study of the molecular mechanisms of human diseases.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.