Freeze-fracture observations on the visceral yolk sac placenta of rats, mice and hamsters. With special reference to endodermal cell tight junctions.

Freeze-fracture replicas of visceral yolk sac from rats, mice and hamsters in late stages of gestation were studied by electron microscopy. Special attention was directed toward determining the types of junctional specializations that exist between the columnar endoderm cells of this placental membrane. In all three species, well-developed, zonular tight (occluding) junctions were found on the contiguous lateral surfaces of the endoderm cells. The tight junctional network, located in an immediate subluminal position, was from 0.2--0.5 micrometers in depth and consisted at any point of 2--5, interconnecting, approximately 9 eta wide, strands (P-face) or shallow furrows (E-face). Patch-like aggregations of irregular intramembrane particles, characteristic of desmosomes (maculae adherentes), also were observed at scattered sites below the tight junctions. However, no evidence of gap (communicating) junctions was encountered. The endoderm cells of the rodent visceral yolk sac have been shown to play a central role in the selective transport of macromolecular substances from the maternal to the fetal system. Tight junctions may be vital to this endodermal cell function by preventing random paracellular fluxes of macromolecules.