Accumulation of CPC-precipitable material at apical cell surfaces during formation of the optic cup

Accumulation of extracellular material at the apical surfaces of cells in the optic vesicle was studied by precipitation with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and scanning electron microscopy. Treatment at low salt concentration to preserve all precipitable material indicated an initial appearance of surface material at the tme that the retinal primordium first formed. The amount of precipitate increased as the optic cup formed, particularly at the margins of the cup. Stability of the precipitate during subsequent washing at higher salt concentrations suggested that the apical cell surface material contained highly acidic glycosaminoglycans. The greatest resistance to extraction occurred during the period in which invagination was most pronounced.