Confined Activation and Subdiffractive Localization Enables Whole-Cell PALM with Genetically Expressed Probes

We demonstrate 3D superresolution microscopy in whole fixed cells using photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM). The use of the bright, genetically expressed fluorescent marker photoactivatable mCherry (PA-mCherry1) in combination with near diffraction-limited confinement of photoactivation using two-photon illumination and 3D localization methods allowed us to investigate a variety of cellular structures at <50 nm lateral and <100 nm axial resolution. Compared to existing methods, we substantially reduce excitation and bleaching of unlocalized markers, enabling 3D PALM imaging with high localization density in thick structures. Our 3D localization algorithms based on cross-correlation do not rely on idealized noise models or specific optical configurations, allowing flexible instrument design. Generation of appropriate fusion constructs and expression in Cos7 cells allowed us to image invaginations of the nuclear membrane, vimentin fibrils, the mitochondrial network, and the endoplasmic reticulum at depths greater than 8 μm.