Localization of fibronectin, laminin-entactin, and entactin in Reichert's membrane by immunoelectron microscopy.

Immunoelectron microscopy using protein A-colloidal gold complexes of different sizes was used to study the relative distribution of extracellular matrix glycoproteins within Reichert's membrane (RM) of 13.5-day mouse embryos. Labelling for fibronectin was distributed asymmetrically; the highest concentration occurring in the outermost layer adjacent to the trophoblast cells and negligible labelling in the inner matrix, beneath the parietal endoderm cells. Within the main body of the membrane, fibronectin was concentrated in discrete electron-opaque deposits. Antibodies raised against the native complex between laminin and entactin , and against entactin alone labelled the RM more uniformly.