Receptor-mediated binding, endocytosis and cellular processing of macromolecules conjugated with colloidal gold

Receptor-mediated expression of cellular functions assures biological specificity, regulation, and control of nutritive and metabolic requirements. The study of receptor-ligand interactions is a central theme in many published reports employing colloidal gold labeling. With the ligand directly conjugated with colloidal gold, the investigator is afforded the opportunity to observe all phases of cellular binding, endocytosis, lysosomal delivery and catabolism. Reviewed are published studies employing direct ligand conjugation with colloidal gold, the relative merits and disadvantages of this type of procedure and data from recent studies investigating endothelial receptor binding of proteins in the coagulation and fibrinolysis cascades.