Zinc iodide-osmium staining of membrane-coating granules in keratinized and non-keratinized mammalian oral epithelium.
Specimens of keratinized and non-keratinized oral epithelium were examined in the electron microscope after being stained with zinc iodide-osmium. In both types of tissue, reaction was seen in unmyelinated nerves, in the specific granules of epithelial Langerhans cells and within lysosome-like organelles and small vesicles associated with Golgi systems. In keratinized epithelia, the reaction was also present in the membrane-coating granules and between the deepest cells of the keratinized layer. In contrast, the membrane-coating granules of non-keratinized epithelia lacked Zn iodide-osmium staining despite the presence of reaction in adjacent Golgi systems. It is suggested that Zn iodide-osmium stains glycolipid or glycoprotein material in the cell. This material is elaborated in the Golgi systems from which lysosomes and the membrane-coating granules of keratinized tissues are probably derived.
D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000882:Haplorhini; D007633:Keratins; D009055:Mouth / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009992:Osmium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009993:Osmium Tetroxide; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*; D017967:Zinc Compounds
D017967:Zinc Compounds; D009992:Osmium; C035252:osmium zinc iodide; D007633:Keratins; D015032:Zinc; D009993:Osmium Tetroxide