title: Applications of immunocolloids in light microscopy. II. Demonstration of lectin-binding sites in paraffin sections by the use of lectin-gold or glycoprotein-gold complexes.
abstract: A new procedure is presented for the light microscopic demonstration of specific sugar sequences of oligosaccharides in glycoconjugates by lectins combined with the colloidal gold marker system. Tissue sections from aldehyde-fixed and paraffin embedded rat kidney were stained either in a one-step method with lectin directly bound to particles of colloidal gold or in a two-step method using non-labeled lectin and glycoprotein labeled with colloidal gold. In both methods the presence of lectin-binding sites in the tissue sections is revealed by the appearance of a red coloration that is due to the accumulation of gold particles. The high specificity of the technique is combined with a good sensitivity and resolution as demonstrated by a differential plasma membrane staining in renal epithelial cells. The lectin-gold or glycoprotein-gold complexes remain stable for months and produce a permanent nonbleaching staining.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003102:Colloids; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005976:Glutaral; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006046:Gold; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000032:analysis; D037102:Lectins; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010232:Paraffin; D051381:Rats; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006046:Gold; D010232:Paraffin; D005976:Glutaral