Fine structure of the monkey epididymis: a correlated thin-section and freeze-cleave study

The epithelium of the monkey epididymis was studied by means of freeze-fracture techniques and conventional electron microscopy. For the study of transepithelial permeability lanthanum hydroxide was used as an intercellular tracer. The epididymal epithelium consists mainly of tall columnar cells. The long stereocilia at the apical surface, similarly to microvilli, exhibit after freeze-fracture, two distinct faces: the E face, concave and with fewer membrane-associated particles, and the complementary convex P face. In the lumen unusual groups of smooth-surfaced vacuoles are present. A tight junctional network, which shows some permeability to the lanthanum tracer, is located at the apical end of the cells. Supranuclear cross-fractures clearly show the well developed Golgi cisternae and numerous vacuole profiles. The highly infolded, centrally located nucleus exhibits, after freeze-fracture, an even distribution of nuclear pores. In the perinuclear region the rough endoplasmic reticulum, which also presents pores, displays a sheet-like organization. The basal cytoplasm is filled by numerous globular profiles of membrane-bounded granules. Freeze-cleave exposes large cytoplasmic areas where the types and amount of organelles indicate an intense metabolic activity.