Electron probe X-ray microanalysis of residual bodies in aged cultured human glial cells

Secondary lysosomes of the residual body type are frequent in nondividing cells from phase III cultures of human glial cells. These organelles have previously been shown to be analogous to lipofuscin granules of postmitotic cells in vivo. Most recent studies favor the assumption that residual bodies mainly result from incomplete degradation within the lysosomal vacuome of endogenous cellular components such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Since iron occurs in several metalloenzymes produced by such organelles, it should then be possible to demonstrate accumulated iron within residual bodies. X-ray dispersive analysis of sectioned biological material is often hampered by diffusion and dissolution during preparation, as well as by too low a concentration of the elements. In this study we cultured glial cells on Formvar-coated gold grids and studied them unsectioned, after brief glutaraldehyde fixation and freeze-drying, in a transmission electron microscope at 100 kV in TEM and STEM mode. It was then possible to demonstrate iron in residual bodies of aged cells, presumably because the type of preparation utilized does not permit much dissolution.