Summary
After the application of fixatives including phosphotungstic acid or a mixture of osmium tetroxide and zinc iodide, complex tubular structures are evident in the presynaptic side of the synapses between photoreceptor and bipolar cells of the rat's retina. In the first case only the limiting membranes are visualized, while in the second only the content of the tubules is stained. These tubules seem to be related, on a morphological ground, with the formation of synaptic vesicles. These tubular structures are not observed when fixation is done with osmium tetroxide or glutaraldehyde-osmium tetroxide.
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This work has been supported by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina, and from National Institutes of Health, U.S.A., (5 RO1 NS 06953-05 NEUA).
We want to express our gratitude to Mrs. Haydée Agoff de Zimman and Mr. Alberto Saénz for their skillful technical assistance.
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Pellegrino de Iraldi, A., Suburo, A.M. Presynaptic tubular structures in photoreceptor cells. Z. Zellforsch. 113, 39–43 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331200
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331200