title: Electron microscopical analysis of surface charge labelling density at various stages of the erythroid line.
abstract: With use of the positively charged, colloidal ferric oxide labelling technique for electron microscopy of sections of rabbit marrow, a reduction in labelling density on the surface of differentiating red cell precursors was demonstrated. The number of iron particles per unit length of membrane was counted. A progressive diminution in labelling density follows cell division, reaching a minimum in the orthochromatic erythroblast, from which the nucleus is expelled. A slight increase in charge density is noted in the reticulocyte, and further increase is observed with its maturation to the erythrocyte. The results indicate that biosynthesis of n-acetyl neuraminic acid stops at the earliest recognizable stage of erythroid differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Section of Biological Ultrastructure, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovoth, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skutelsky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Danon