A scanning electron microscopic and x-ray microanalytic study of cell surface material during amphibian neurulation.

Treatment with lanthanum (La3+) after fixation in phosphate (PO4-3)-buffered glutaraldehyde results in the deposition of a cell surface material (CSM) primarily on the developing urodele amphibian neural axis. X-ray probe microanalysis indicates that calcium (CA2+) levels are considerably higher in the neural fold region. La3+ displaces Ca2+ from negatively-charged moieties on biological membranes. Once bound, La3+ likely interacts with residual phosphate(s) resulting in deposition of CSM. Elemental X-ray microanalysis shows CSM contains mostly lanthanum and phosphorus. The high level of regional La3+ binding is correlated with inherently greater Ca2+ levels in the developing neural axis.