Lead aspartate, an en bloc contrast stain particularly useful for ultrastructural enzymology

Lead aspartate is a new en bloc stain for electron microscopy. Its predictable staining depends on chelation that results from the interaction of the two stain components, lead nitrate and aspartic acid, which must be present in a specific ratio. Lead aspartate stain is 0.02 M in lead nitrate and 0.03 M in aspartic acid, adjusted to pH 5.5. Cells or tissues are stained at 60 degrees C for 30 to 60 min. Cells stained en bloc with lead aspartate closely resemble cells stained on grids by lead citrate, except that the former seldom have contamination. En bloc staining with lead aspartate bypasses the grid-staining step so that samples can be viewed and photographed immediately after they are thin-sectioned. The lower pH of the lead aspartate solution allows counterstaining of enzyme reaction products that dissolve in the highly alkaline lead citrate stain. Lead aspartate en bloc staining to enhance contrast should especially benefit studies of ultrastructure requiring a clean and predictably lead stain.