Freeze-Fracture Cytochemistry: Replicas of Critical Point-Dried Cells and Tissues After Fracture-Label

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Abstract
Applications of the new fracture-labeling techniques for the observation of cytochemical labels on platinum-carbon replicas are described. Frozen cells, embedded in a cross-linked protein matrix, and frozen tissues are fractured with a scalpel under liquid nitrogen, thawed, labeled, dehydrated by the critical point drying method, and replicated. This method allows direct, high-resolution, two-dimensional chemical and immunological characterization of the cellular membranes in situ, as well as detection of sites within cross-fractured cytoplasm and extracellular matrix.