Synopsis
The principles of X-ray microanalysis are outlined and a description is given of the combined transmission electron microscope X-ray microanalyser, EMMA-4. The use of this technique is discussed in relation to existing histochemical methods for electron microscopy.
The use of light microscopical techniques are suggested for use in electron microscopy, thereby extending the potential number of reactions available, the final reaction product sires being localized by X-ray analysis. By the use of such analyses, quantitative data can also be obtained in relation to the formed reaction product and the exact composition of mixed precipitates can be determined.
A brief discussion is included concerning the types of specimen suitable for use in X-ray microanalysis, in particular the applicability of ultra-thin frozen sections for the localization of soluble tissue components.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, C. W. M. (1959). A histochemical method for the simultaneous demonstration of normal and degenerating myelin.J. Path. Bact. 77, 648–50.
Appleton, T. C. (1968). Ultrathin frozen sections for electron microscopy.Preliminary Report, L.K.B. Instruments Inc. Rockville, Md., U.S.A.
Appleton, T. C. (1972). Dry ultrathin frozen sections for electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis; the cryostat approach.Micron 3, 81–4.
Anson, M. L. (1941). Sulfydryl groups of egg albumin.J. Gen. Physiol. 24, 399–421.
Bal, A. K. (1972). Localization of cellulase in plant cells.Proc. 4th Int. Cong. Histochem., pp. 301–2.
Barka, T. &Anderson, P. J. (1963). In.Histochemistry. Theory, Practice and Bibliography. New York: Hoeber.
Barrnett, R. J. (1953). The histochemical distribution of protein bound sulphydryl groups.J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 13, 905–27.
Barrnett, R. J. &Palade, G. E. (1957). Histochemical demonstration of the sites of activity of dehydrogenase systems with the electron microscope.J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 3, 577–88.
Barrnett, R. J. &Seligman, A. M. (1952). Demonstration of protein bound sulphydryl and disulphide groups by two new histochemical methodsJ. Nat. Cancer Inst. 13, 215–16.
Barrnett, R. J. &Seligman, A. M. (1954). Histochemical demonstration of sulphydryl and disulphide groups of protein.J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 14, 769–803.
Bearden, J. A. (1967) X-ray wavelengths.Rev. Mod. Phys. 39, 86–123.
Bernhard, W. &Leduc, E. H. (1967). Ultrathin frozen sections I. Methods and ultrastructural preservations.J. Cell Biol. 34, 757–72.
Bernhard, W. &Virion, A. (1971). Improved techniques for the preparation of ultrathin frozen sections.J. Cell Biol. 49, 731–46.
Brandes, D., Zetterquist, H. &Sheldon, H. (1956). Histochemical techniques for electron microscopy alkaline phosphatase.Nature, Lond. 177, 382.
Burstone, M. S. (1962).Enzyme Histochemistry and its Application in the Study of Neoplasms. New York, Academic Press.
Chance, B., &Williams, G. R. (1956). The respiratory chain oxidative phosphorylation.Advan. Enzymol. 17, 65–134.
Christensen, A. K. (1967). A simple way to cut frozen thin sections of tissue at liquid nitrogen temperature.Anat. Rec. 157, 227.
Christensen, A. K. (1971). Frozen thin sections of fresh tissue for electron microscopy, with a description of pancreas and liver.J. Cell biol. 51, 772–804.
Cooke, C. J. &Duncumb, P. (1969). Performance analysis of a combined electron microscope and electron probe microanalyser, EMMA.Proc. 5th Int. Cong. X-ray Optics and Microanalysis (eds. G. Mollenstedt & K. H. Gaukler), pp. 245–7. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Cooke, C. J. &Openshaw, I. K. (1970). Combined high resolution electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis.28th Ann. Proc. EMSA. (ed. C. J. Arceneaux). Baton Rouge, La. U.S.A.: Claitors.
Deimling, O. V. &Madreiter, H. (1972). Esterase II. A new method for the electron microscopical demonstration of a non-specific esterase in animal tissues.Histochemie 29, 83–96.
England, J. M. &Miller, R. G. (1970). The statistical analysis of autoradiographs II. Theoretical aspects including methods for optimal allocation of measurement effort.J. Microscopy 92, 167–77.
England, J. M. &Rodgers, A. W. (1970). The statistical analysis of autoradiographs I. Grain count distribution over uniformly labelled sources.J. Microscopy,92, 159–65.
Gahan, P. B., Greenoak, G. C. &James, D. (1970). Preparation of ultrathin frozen sections of plant tissues for electron microscopy.Histochemie 24, 230–5.
Goldfischer, S., Essner, E., &Novikoff, A. B. (1963). The localization of phosphatase activities at the level of ultrastructure.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 12, 72–95.
Gomori, G. (1941). Distribution of acid phosphatase in the tissues under normal and under pathological conditions.Arch. Path. 32, 189–99.
Gomori, G. (1950). An improved histochemical technic for acid phosphatase.Stain Tech. 25, 81–5.
Hackenbrock, C. R. (1966). Ultrastructural bases for metabolically linked mechanical activity in mitochondria. I. Reversible ultrastructural changes with change in metabolic steady state in isolated liver mitochondria.J. Cell Biol. 30, 269–97.
Hackenbrock, C. R. (1968). Ultrastructural bases for metabolically linked mechanical activity in mitochondria II. Electron transport linked ultrastructural transformations in mitochondria.J. Cell Biol. 37, 345–69.
Hall, T. A. (1968). Some aspects of microprobe analysis of biological specimens. In:Quantitative Electron Probe Microanalysis (ed. K. F. J. Heinrich). National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 298, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 269–99.
Hall, T. A. (1971). The microprobe assay of chemical elements. In:Physical Techniques in Biological Research (ed. G. Oster), 2nd Ed., Vol.IA, pp. 157–275. New York: Academic Press.
Hall, T. A. (1972). X-ray microanalysis in biology: quantitation.Micron 3, 93–7.
Hall, T. A. &Werba, P. (1968). The measurement of total mass per unit area and elemental weight fractions along line scans in thin specimens.Proc. 5th Int. Cong. on X-ray Optics and Microanalysis (eds. G. Mollenstedt and K. H. Gaukler), pp. 93–8, Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Hanker, J. S., Seamen, A. R., Weiss, L. P., Ueno, H., Bergman, R. A. &Seligman, A. M. (1964). Osmiophilic reagents: New cytochemical principle for light and electron microscopy.Science 146, 1039–43.
Hanker, J. S., Kasler, F., Bloom, M. E., Copeland, J. S. &Seligman, A. M. (1967). Coordination polymers of osmium: The nature of Osmium Black.Science 154, 1750–2.
Herman, L., Sato, T. &Weavers, B. A. (1971). An investigation of the pyroantimonate reaction for sodium localization using the analytical electron microscope, EMMA-4,29th. Ann. Proc. EMSA. (ed. C. J. Arceneaux). Baton, Rouge, La., U.S.A.: Claitors.
Hodson, S., &Marshall, J. (1970a). Ultracryotomy: A technique for cutting ultrathin sections of unfixed frozen biological tissue for electron microscopy.J. Microscopy 91, 105–17.
Hodson, S. &Marshall, J. (1970b). Tissue sodium and potassium: Direct detection in the electron microscope.Experentia 26, 1283–4.
Holt, S. J. (1959). Factors governing the validity of staining methods for enzymes, and their bearing upon the Gomori acid phosphatase technique.Exp. Cell Res. Suppl.7, 1–27.
Iglestas, J. R., Bernier, R. &Simard, R. (1971). Ultracryotomy: A routine procedure.J. Ultrastruct. Res. 36 271–89.
Kalina, M., Weavers, B. A. &Pearse, A. G. E. (1971). Ultrastructural localisation of succinate dehydrogenase in mouse liver mitochondria, a cytochemical study.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 19, 124–30.
Kerpel-Fronius, S. &Hajos, F. (1968). The use of ferricyanide for the light and electron microscopic demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase activity.Histochemie 14, 343–51.
Knowles, J. C., Weavers, B. A. &Cooper, E. H. (1972). Accumlation of calcium in the intramitochondrial dense bodies of mice.Exp. Cell Res. 73, 230–3.
Komnick, H. &Komnick, U. (1963). Electronen Mikroskopische Untersuchungen zur funktionellen Morphologie des Ion transportes in der Salzdruese von Larus Argentatus.Z. Zellforsch.60, 163–70.
Lacy, D. &Pettitt, A. J. (1972). Biological applications of combined transmission electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis with special reference to studies on mammalian testis.Micron 3, 115–29.
Landing, B. H., Uzman, L. L. &Whipple, A. (1952). Phosphomolybdic acid for staining reagent for lipid.Lab. Invest. I, 456–62.
Olszewska, M. J., Wronski, M. &Fortak, W. (1967). A histochemical method for revealing disulphide bonds by means of hydrogen selenide.Folia. Histochem. Cytochem. 5, 7–14.
Pearse, A. G. E. (1960).Histochemistry, Theoretical and Applied, 2nd Ed. London: Churchill.
Pearse, A. G. E. (1968).Histochemistry; Theoretical and Applied 3rd Ed. Vol. I, London: Churchill.
Persson, A. (1970). Cryo-ultramicrotomy.Proc. 7th Int. Cong. Electron Miscroscopy (ed. P. Favard), pp. 421–2. Société Français de Microscopie Electronique, Paris, France.
Quintarelli, G., Scott, J. E. &Dellovo, M. C. (1964). The chemical and histochemical properties of Alcian Blue III. Chemical blocking and unblocking.Histochemie 4, 99–112.
Russ, J. C. (1971). Spatial resolution of X-ray analysis with solid and thin specimens.29th Ann. Proc. EMSA, (ed. C. J. Arceneaux) Baton Rouge, La., U.S.A., Claitors.
Scott, J. E. &Dorling, J. (1965). Differential staining of acid glycosaminoglycans (mucopolysaccharides) by Alcian Blue in salt solutions.Histochemie 5, 221–33.
Seligman, A. M. (1964). Some recent trends and advances in enzyme histochemistry.Proc. 2nd Int. Cong. Histochem. and Cytochem.
Seligman, A. M., Hanker, J. S., Wasserkrug, H., Dmoshowski, H. &Katzoff, L. (1965). Histochemical demonstration of some oxidised macromolecules with thiocarbohydrazide. (TCH) or thiosemicarbazide (TSC) and osmium tetroxide.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 13 629–39.
Seligman, A. M., Wasserkrug, H. L. &Hanker, J. S. (1966). A new staining procedure (OTO) for enhancing contrast of lipid containing membranes and droplets in osmium fixed tissues with osmiophilic thiocarbohydrazide (TCH).J. Cell Biol. 30, 424–32.
Seligman, A. M., Wasserkrug, H. L., Deb, C. &Hanker, J. S. (1968). Osmium containing compounds with multiple basic or acidic groups as stains for ultrastructure.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 16, 87–101.
Seveus, L. (1970). Frozen ultrathin sections.Proc. 7th Int. Cong. Electron Microscop. (ed. P. Favard), pp. 423–4. Société Français de Microscopie Electronique, Paris, France.
Sheldon, H., Zetterquist, H. &Brandes, D. (1955). Histochemical reactios for electron microscopy: Acid phosphatase.Exp. Cell Res. 9, 592–6.
Spicer, S. S., Hardin, J. H. &Greene, W. B. (1968). Nuclear precipitates in pyroantimonateosmium tetroxide fixed tissue.J. Cell Biol. 39, 216–21.
Steedman, H. F. (1950). Alcian Blue 8GS: A new stain for mucin.Quat. F. Microscop. Sci. 91, 477–9.
Swettenham, K. (1960). The buffered performic acid-Alcian Blue-periodic acid-Schiff method for differentiation of basophils in human and rat pituitary.J. Clin. Path. 13, 256–60.
Tisher, C. C., Weavers, B. A. &Cirksena, W. J. (1972) X-ray microanalysis of pyroantimonate complexes in rat kidney.Amer. J. Path. 69, 255–66.
Venkataraman, K. (1952).The Chemistry of Synthetic Dyes Vol. I. Academic Press.
Weavers, B. A. (1970). An electron microscopic study of cytoplasmic ultrastructure and cytochemistry in relation to function.Thesis for Fellowship of Institute of Science Technology, London.
Weavers, B. A. &Bal, A. K. (1972) Application of the analytical electron microscope EMMA-4 in evaluation of cellulase activity.30th Ann. Proc. EMSA (ed. C. J. Arceneaux). Baton Rouge, La., U.S.A., Claitors.
Yao, T. (1949). Cytochemical studies on the embryonic development of drosophila melanogaster.Quat J. Microscop. Sci. 90, 401–9.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Weavers, B.A. The potentiality of EMMA-4, the analytical electron microscope, in histochemistry: a review. Histochem J 5, 173–193 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01012560
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01012560