A CYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF PYROANTIMONATE BINDING TO THE PLASMALEMMA OF BLOOD AND BONE MARROW CELLS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CELLULAR MATURATION

Normal human blood and bone marrow cells exposed to the pyroantimonate reaction exhibit a selective binding of pyroantimonate to sites associated with the plasmalemma of neutrophilic leukocytes, erythrocytes and certain of their precursors. Chemical distinctions exist between the plasmalemma of different types of blood and bone marrow cells, and major changes in the cationic binding ability of neutrophilic and erythrocytic cells can be correlated with different phases in their differentiation. Plasmalemmal pyroantimonate-osmium-reactive cation is bound with glycoprotein in the erythrocytic elements and to both phospholipid and glycoprotein moieties in neutrophilic cells. The cellular distribution, membrane localization and degree of membrane reactivity obtained with the pyroantimonate-osmium reaction is distinct from that obtained with Thorotrast and ruthenium red.