Ultrastructural immunocytochemistry of particulate fractions using polyvinyl chloride microculture wells

A method is described for immunoelectron microscopy of particulate subcellular fractions using polyvinyl chloride (soft) microculture wells as mechanical supports and reaction vessels. Appropriate quantities of particles are centrifuged onto the well bottoms, fixed and permeabilized if necessary, then labeled by standard procedures, fixed in glutaraldehyde and tannic acid, and prepared for thin section electron microscopy. The centrifugation, the fixations, and the embedment in Epon are discussed in detail.