Immunogold labelling

Immunogold labeling or immunogold staining (IGS) is a staining technique used in <a href="/facts/Electron_microscopy/XtaBktwF">electron microscopy</a>. This staining technique is an equivalent of the <a href="/facts/Indirect_immunofluorescence/lBrwxaYI">indirect immunofluorescence</a> technique for visible light. <a href="/facts/Colloidal_gold/AvLN368l">Colloidal gold</a> particles are most often attached to secondary <a href="/facts/Antibodies/MX8pdTdP">antibodies</a> which are in turn attached to <a href="/facts/Primary_and_secondary_antibodies/KB0tmpqE">primary antibodies</a> designed to bind a specific <a href="/facts/Antigen/9JlAernG">antigen</a> or other <a href="/facts/Cell_(biology)/bLM9UQvy">cell</a> component. Gold is used for its high <a href="/facts/Electron_density/L5yDsk6j">electron density</a> which increases <a href="/facts/Electron/L0KBo5cW">electron</a> scatter to give high contrast 'dark spots'.
First used in 1971, immunogold labeling has been applied to both <a href="/facts/Transmission_electron_microscopy/Rpr8jpCn">transmission electron microscopy</a> and <a href="/facts/Scanning_electron_microscopy/yzK0hsSx">scanning electron microscopy</a>, as well as <a href="/facts/Brightfield_microscopy/pWu3Dqkr">brightfield microscopy</a>. The labeling technique can be adapted to distinguish multiple objects by using differently-sized gold particles.
Immunogold labeling can introduce artifacts, as the gold particles reside some distance from the labelled object and very thin sectioning is required during sample preparation.

Immunogold labelling open-in-new

Immunogold labelling