Immobilization of mammalian eggs on solid substrates by lectins for electron microscopy.

Cumulus-free, zona pellucida invested hamster and mouse eggs were immobilized by adherence of the zonae to glass or plastic substrates to which the lectin, wheatgerm agglutinin, had been attached. This simple method of egg immobilization enabled processing of very small quantities of eggs for both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Soluble protein in the medium did not affect zona-substrate adhesion, and virtually all of the eggs were retained during dehydration and critical point drying.