A review of the colloidal gold marker system

Colloidal gold can be used as a particulate marker for the detection and localization of target molecules by various modes of microscopy (light and fluorescent microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy) using both direct and indirect labeling approaches. Several techniques are available for the preparation of gold markers in a size range of 5nm to 150nm, their mean size and shape characteristics and absorption spectra varying with particle size. Under appropriate conditions, colloidal gold will bind macromolecules by non-covalent electrostatic adsorption with little change in the specific activity of the bound macromolecule. This interaction is influenced by a number of factors including ionic concentration, pH conditions (in correlation with the protein pI values) and protein stabilizing levels. Presence of reactive protein on probes can be demonstrated and quantitated by direct and indirect radioactive binding assays and agglutination assays. These assays provide convenient procedures for characterizing stability, and behaviour in storage, of gold probes. Stability of gold probes under conditons where competing proteins are present, under freeze-thaw cycles and under SEM preparation conditions have been evaluated in this paper. Some of the basic procedures in the application of gold probes to cell labeling are briefly discussed together with certain limitations of the colloidal gold marker system. A bibliography of gold probe cell labeling studies is included.