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Preservation of capsular material of streptococcal cells by specific lectins determined by immunoelectron microscopy
A Molinari1, G Orefici, G Donelli
1Department of Ultrastructures, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
We describe the use of lectins as specific stabilizing agents for the polysaccharide capsular components of two Gram-positive bacteria, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus bovis. Treatment of bacterial suspensions with wheatgerm agglutinin and concanavalin A allowed better morphological preservation as well as immunoelectron microscopic localization of a capsular component (lipoteichoic acid) by employing specific antibodies and the protein A-gold technique. Data obtained indicate that lectins are useful agents in preserving highly water-soluble capsular components during the electron microscopy procedures for both unembedded and embedded samples.
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