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Label-Free Nanoimaging of Neuromelanin in the Brain by Soft X-ray Spectromicroscopy

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Christopher Morris

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. A hallmark of Parkinson's disease is the death of neuromelanin-pigmented neurons, but the role of neuromelanin is unclear. The in situ characterization of neuromelanin remains dependent on detectable pigmentation, rather than direct quantification of neuromelanin. We show that direct, label-free nanoscale visualization of neuromelanin and associated metal ions in human brain tissue can be achieved using synchrotron scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM), through a characteristic feature in the neuromelanin x-ray absorption spectrum at 287.4 eV that is also present in iron-free and iron-laden synthetic neuromelanin. This is confirmed in consecutive brain sections by correlating STXM neuromelanin imaging with silver nitrate-stained neuromelanin. Analysis suggests that the 1s–σ* (C−S) transition in benzothiazine groups accounts for this feature. This method illustrates the wider potential of STXM as a label-free spectromicroscopy technique applicable to both organic and inorganic materials.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Brooks J, Everett J, Lermyte F, Tjhin VT, Banerjee S, O'Connor PB, Morris CM, Sadler PJ, Telling ND, Collingwood JF

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Angewandte Chemie - International Edition

Year: 2020

Volume: 59

Issue: 29

Pages: 11984-11991

Print publication date: 13/07/2020

Online publication date: 30/03/2020

Acceptance date: 30/03/2020

Date deposited: 29/05/2020

ISSN (print): 1433-7851

ISSN (electronic): 1521-3773

Publisher: Wiley-VCH Verlag

URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202000239

DOI: 10.1002/anie.202000239

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