USE OF NANOGOLD FOLLOWED BY SILVER ENHANCEMENT AND GOLD TONING FOR PREEMBEDDING IMMUNOLOCALIZATION IN OSMIUM-FIXED, EPON-EMBEDDED TISSUES

A reliable, sensitive, high-resolution method with good structural vis ualization for preembedding immunoelectron microscopy was proposed. Th e present technique involves the following processes, Immunolabeling o f cryostat sections with primary antibodies and with nanogolds, silver intensification for visualization of nanogold secondary antibodies, g old-toning for stabilization of silver shells, and osmium postfixation and embedding in Epon for good structural visualization. The techniqu e was applied to rat testis with anti-laminin and anti-fibronectin ant ibodies, showing that these two proteins are localized differentially in the lamina propria of the tissue.