Preservation artifacts in zebrafish X-ray fluorescence imaging

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Preservation and embedding procedures can substantially influence elemental distributions measured by X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI), particularly for mobile endogenous elements. While effects of formalin fixation have been widely studied, comparatively little is known regarding methacrylate embedding. Here, larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to methylmercury-l-cysteinate (MeHg-l-Cys) were preserved either by JB-4 methacrylate embedding or using cryosectioning/air-drying, called herein cryopreservation, then were sectioned and analyzed using quantitative XFI. Mercury distributions were largely unaffected by preservation method, whereas endogenous elements including potassium, calcium, copper, sulfur, selenium, and zinc showed varying degrees of depletion or redistribution following methacrylate embedding, with potassium showing particularly strong depletion. Despite these changes, methacrylate embedding provided improved anatomical preservation relative to cryopreservation. These results demonstrate that methacrylate embedding is suitable for studies focused primarily on mercury localization, while cryopreservation remains highly preferable when accurate preservation of endogenous elemental distributions is required.

Source: Metallomics

DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfag026

Authors: Ashley K James, Monica Weng, Natalia V Dolgova, Kelly L Summers, Graham N George, Ingrid J Pickering

Institution: University of Saskatchewan

Language: English

Topic: X-ray Spectroscopy and Fluorescence Analysis

Subfield: Radiation

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,653

Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Canadian Light Source, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canada Research Chairs, Office of Science, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Argonne National Laboratory

OpenAlex ID: W7204144047