Preservation of fine Structures in Yeast by Fixation in a Dimethyl Sulfoxide-Acrolein-Glutaraldehyde Solution

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Abstract
The primary fixative containing 2% acrolein, 2% glutaraldehyde in 50% aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) buffered at pH 7.4, was applied for 7 hr in the cold. After a short wash in 0.02 M s-collidine buffer, pH 7.4, containing 0.2 M sucrose and 0.001 M CaCl2, the yeast cells were postfixed in 3% OsO4 at pH 4.0 (veronal acetate buffer). This method preserves many cytoplasmic features such as lipid deposits and ribosomes which are usually destroyed by permanganate fixation. DMSO apparently acts as a permeating agent allowing maximum penetration of the cell wall by the fixative without disrupting cellular fine structure