Skip to main content
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1975 Feb 1;64(2):331–339. doi: 10.1083/jcb.64.2.331

Two improved methods for preparing ferritin-protein conjugates for electron microscopy

PMCID: PMC2109494  PMID: 803973

Abstract

Two improved procedures were developed for activating ferritin so that the ferritin could be covalently linked to antibodies. One procedure involved use of a water-soluble carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide to prepare ferritin-containing activated esters. The other involved activation of the ferritin with excess glutaraldehyde. The ferritin- antibody conjugates prepared with the two procedures were shown to have a number of properties which made them suitable for locating antigenic components in cells.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (774.1 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Avrameas S. Détection d'anticorps et d'antigènes a l'air d'enzymes. Bull Soc Chim Biol (Paris) 1968 Sep 28;50(5):1169–1178. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Avrameas S. Enzyme markers: their linkage with proteins and use in immuno-histochemistry. Histochem J. 1972 Jul;4(4):321–330. doi: 10.1007/BF01005007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Avrameas S., Ternynck T. Peroxidase labelled antibody and Fab conjugates with enhanced intracellular penetration. Immunochemistry. 1971 Dec;8(12):1175–1179. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(71)90395-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Avrameas S., Ternynck T. The cross-linking of proteins with glutaraldehyde and its use for the preparation of immunoadsorbents. Immunochemistry. 1969 Jan;6(1):53–66. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(69)90178-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BOREK F., SILVERSTEIN A. M. Characterization and purification of ferritin-antibody globulin conjugates. J Immunol. 1961 Nov;87:555–561. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Booyse F. M., Sternberger L. A., Zschocke D., Rafelson M. E., Jr Ultrastructural localization of contractile protein (thrombosthenin) in human platelets using an unlabeled antibody-peroxidase staining technique. J Histochem Cytochem. 1971 Sep;19(9):540–550. doi: 10.1177/19.9.540. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. De Saussure V. A., Dandliker W. B. Ultracentrifuge studies on the effects of thiocyanate ion on antigen--antibody systems. Immunochemistry. 1969 Jan;6(1):77–83. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(69)90180-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dehm P., Olsen B. R., Prockop D. J. Antibodies to chick-tendon procollagen. Affinity purification with the isolated disulfide-linded NH2-terminal extensions and reactivity with a component in embryonic serum. Eur J Biochem. 1974 Jul 1;46(1):107–116. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1974.tb03602.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fresen K. O., Vogt A. Die hämolytische Aktivität von ferritinmarkierten Antikörpern gegen Schafserythrocyten (amboceptor. Med Microbiol Immunol. 1971;157(1):24–31. doi: 10.1007/BF02121288. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kraehenbuhl J. P., Jamieson J. D. Solid-phase conjugation of ferritin to Fab-fragments of immunoglobulin G for use in antigen localization on thin sections. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Jul;69(7):1771–1775. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.7.1771. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Marchalonis J. J. An enzymic method for the trace iodination of immunoglobulins and other proteins. Biochem J. 1969 Jun;113(2):299–305. doi: 10.1042/bj1130299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McLean J. D., Singer S. J. A general method for the specific staining of intracellular antigens with ferritin-antibody conjugates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1970 Jan;65(1):122–128. doi: 10.1073/pnas.65.1.122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nakane P. K., Pierce G. B., Jr Enzyme-labeled antibodies for the light and electron microscopic localization of tissue antigens. J Cell Biol. 1967 May;33(2):307–318. doi: 10.1083/jcb.33.2.307. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Neauport-Sautes C., Silvestre D. Ferritin-antibody coupling with glutaraldehyde. Transplantation. 1972 May;13(5):536–540. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197205000-00016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nicolson G. L., Singer S. J. Electron microscopic localization of macromolecules on membrane surfaces. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1972 Jun 20;195:368–375. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Niitsu Y., Listowsky I. Mechanisms for the formation of ferritin oligomers. Biochemistry. 1973 Nov 6;12(23):4690–4695. doi: 10.1021/bi00747a023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Olsen B. R., Berg R. A., Kishida Y., Prockop D. J. Collagen synthesis: localization of prolyl hydroxylase in tendon cells detected with ferritin-labeled antibodies. Science. 1973 Nov 23;182(4114):825–827. doi: 10.1126/science.182.4114.825. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Olsen B. R., Berg R. A., Kishida Y., Prockop D. J. Further characterization of embryonic tendon fibroblasts and the use of immunoferritin techniques to study collagen biosynthesis. J Cell Biol. 1975 Feb;64(2):340–355. doi: 10.1083/jcb.64.2.340. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Olsen B. R., Prockop D. J. Ferritin-conjugated antibodies used for labeling of organelles involved in the cellular synthesis and transport of procollagen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 May;71(5):2033–2037. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.5.2033. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. PORTER R. R. The hydrolysis of rabbit y-globulin and antibodies with crystalline papain. Biochem J. 1959 Sep;73:119–126. doi: 10.1042/bj0730119. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Painter R. G., Tokuyasu K. T., Singer S. J. Immunoferritin localization of intracellular antigens: the use of ultracryotomy to obtain ultrathin sections suitable for direct immunoferritin staining. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Jun;70(6):1649–1653. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.6.1649. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Payne J. W. Polymerization of proteins with glutaraldehyde. Soluble molecular-weight markers. Biochem J. 1973 Dec;135(4):867–873. doi: 10.1042/bj1350867. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Richards F. M., Knowles J. R. Glutaraldehyde as a protein cross-linkage reagent. J Mol Biol. 1968 Oct 14;37(1):231–233. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90086-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SINGER S. J. Preparation of an electron-dense antibody conjugate. Nature. 1959 May 30;183(4674):1523–1524. doi: 10.1038/1831523a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. SRI RAM J., TAWDE S. S., PIERCE G. B., Jr, MIDGLEY A. R., Jr Preparation of antibody-ferritin conjugates for immunoelectron microscopy. J Cell Biol. 1963 Jun;17:673–675. doi: 10.1083/jcb.17.3.673. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Siess E., Wieland O., Miller F. A simple method for the preparation of pure and active gamma-globulin-ferritin conjugates using glutaraldehyde. Immunology. 1971 May;20(5):659–665. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sternberger L. A. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry: a review. J Histochem Cytochem. 1967 Mar;15(3):139–159. doi: 10.1177/15.3.139. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. VOGT A., KOPP R. LOSS OF SPECIFIC AGGLUTINATING ACTIVITY OF PURIFIED FERRITIN-CONJUGATED ANTIBODIES. Nature. 1964 Jun 27;202:1350–1351. doi: 10.1038/2021350a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Williams M. A., Gregory D. W. The use of bis-diazotized benzidine for preparing ferritin-conjugated antibodies for electron microscopy. J R Microsc Soc. 1967 Apr;86(4):397–415. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1967.tb01034.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES