Confocal fluorescence microscopy: some applications in bone cell biology.

Three-dimensional information is necessary for the proper investigation of the interrelationships of bone cells, and of the complex interface between these cells and the bone matrix they form and destroy. The use of fluorescence confocal microscopy was explored in the determination of the distribution of immunolabelled actin and vinculin--cytoskeletal and attachment proteins--in isolated chick bone cells cultured on dentine, and in neonate rat and rabbit calvaria. Confocal imaging, compared with conventional fluorescence imaging, greatly enhanced the interpretation possible.