Fluorescent colloidal gold: a cytochemical marker for fluorescent and electron microscopy

Area of Science:

• Microscopy
• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The gold method is a technique used in microscopy.
• Fluorescent labeling is crucial for visualizing cellular structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved gold method for fluorescent microscopy.
• To enhance the marking of cell wall mannan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Main Methods:

• Developed a two-step fluorescent labeling method using 12 nm gold granules.
• Concanavalin A (ConA) and avidin were conjugated with rhodamine.
• Labeling was performed on Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall mannan via one-step and two-step methods.
• The two-step method utilized a biotinyl derivative of ConA.

Main Results:

• The two-step method achieved a higher density of marking compared to the one-step method.
• Both fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the results.

Conclusions:

• The developed two-step fluorescent gold method offers enhanced sensitivity for yeast cell wall mannan visualization.
• This improved technique is valuable for detailed microscopic analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.