Fig. 4: Artefacts caused by missing molecules and membrane topography variations result in misinterpretations in nearest neighbour analysis. | Communications Biology

Fig. 4: Artefacts caused by missing molecules and membrane topography variations result in misinterpretations in nearest neighbour analysis.

From: Membrane topography and the overestimation of protein clustering in single molecule localisation microscopy – identification and correction

Fig. 4

a Cartoon showing randomly distributed dimers. For illustrative purposes the two molecules in each pair are displayed in different colours; red and black. b When some of the red molecules are not detected (empty circles), the Euclidean distance to the nearest neighbour from the black molecules increases. c Nearest neighbour distances as a function of the fraction of undetected molecules of randomly distributed dimers (blue) and randomly distributed molecules (orange). Whiskers display the range of the second and third quartiles. The solid lines connect the means, the median is shown with horizontal bars and the 5% and 95% values are shown as circles. d Cartoon illustrating how membrane topography can cause misidentification of the nearest neighbour comparing the measured nearest neighbour with the possible nearest neighbour within a membrane or structure.

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