Freeze-fracture of Langerhans granules. A comparative study.

A comparative study of freeze-fracture replicas and thin sections of Langerhans granules has proved that the effects of conventional tissue processing on the inner structure of the granule are negligible, and the study has confirmed the validity of the previously proposed tridimensional models. The paracrystalline quality of the substance contained between the limiting membranes of the disc-shaped area of the granules seems to suggest it protein nature. In replicas, no particle organizations attributable to intercellular junctions were observed on the plasma membranes of Langerhans cells.