Pre-embedding labeling of Parvalbumin in a neural dendrite of rat brain tissue using single Fab Goat anti Rabbit Ultra Small and Aurion R-Gent SE-EM. Arrows indicate cross sectioned microtubules with about the same diameter as the silver enhanced gold conjugate (~ 25nm).
Courtesy of Mrs. Hong Yi, Dept. of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
Ultra Small Particle Size
– more gold particles per secondary antibody instead of more antibodies per gold particle
– reduced steric hindrance
– more gold particles per surface area in the specimen
Reduced Molecular Weight
– increased diffusion rates
– ultra small probes behave similar as uncoupled antibodies
Reduced Probe Size
– reduced overall probe size
– reduced hydrodynamic radius (less rigid water coat of water dipoles surrounding negatively charged gold particle)
– significantly increased penetration into sections and tissues
The Choice for Ligand-Receptor Interactions
– each ligand is separate
– no capping or patching, each probe unit consists of a single ligand
Universal Probes
– optimally suited for high resolution EM
– optimally suited for standard immunoelectron microscopy
– optimally suited for immunohistochemistry at the LM level
– optimally suited for bio-assays
One Probe for All Purposes
– direct comparability of results and approaches
– probes can be used for labeling at the LM and EM level
Immunogold Silver Staining of E-cadherin on a paraffin section of human skin. Courtesy of R. Moella, Dept. of Exp. Path., EUR, The Netherlands./
- Mouse monoclonal anti E-cadherin
- GAM lgG UltraSmall
- Aurion R-Gent SE-Intense