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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Immunofluorescence Staining Using IBA1 and TMEM119 for Microglial Density, Morphology and Peripheral Myeloid Cell Infiltration Analysis in Mouse Brain
10:40

Immunofluorescence Staining Using IBA1 and TMEM119 for Microglial Density, Morphology and Peripheral Myeloid Cell Infiltration Analysis in Mouse Brain

Published on: October 27, 2019

Tomato lectin histochemistry for microglial visualization.

Nàdia Villacampa1, Beatriz Almolda, Berta González

  • 1Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|July 2, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Tomato lectin (TL) enables selective staining of microglial cells in the central nervous system (CNS). This method visualizes microglia in various states and aids in studying their relationship with CNS vasculature.

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Last Updated: May 10, 2026

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Primer for Immunohistochemistry on Cryosectioned Rat Brain Tissue: Example Staining for Microglia and Neurons

Published on: May 12, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Microglial cells are crucial glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS).
  • Selective staining methods are vital for studying microglia in physiological and pathological conditions.
  • Lectins offer a valuable tool for identifying specific cell populations within the CNS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe a detailed methodology for the selective labeling of microglial cells using tomato lectin (TL).
  • To demonstrate the application of TL staining across different tissue preparation methods and microscopy techniques.
  • To highlight the utility of TL in visualizing diverse microglial morphologies and their interactions with CNS vasculature.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing tomato lectin (TL), derived from Lycopersicum esculentum, for specific binding to poly-N-acetyl lactosamine residues.
  • Applying the TL staining technique to vibratome, frozen, and paraffin-embedded CNS sections.
  • Adapting the methodology for both optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Main Results:

  • Successful selective staining of microglial cells in various CNS conditions.
  • Visualization of amoeboid microglia in developing brains, ramified microglia in adult brains, and activated/reactive microglia in damaged brains.
  • Demonstration of TL's ability to also label endothelial cells, facilitating the study of neurovascular interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Tomato lectin (TL) provides a robust and versatile method for microglial cell identification in the CNS.
  • This technique is applicable to diverse research settings, from developmental studies to neuropathology.
  • TL staining enhances the understanding of microglial roles and their interactions with the CNS vasculature.