1nm colloidal gold with silver enhancement has been used in conjunction with a low-temperature post-embedding (post-E) technique for the demonstration of skin antigens at both the light microscopic (LM) and electron microscopic (EM) levels.Keratin filaments and basement membrane zone (BMZ) associated antigens in normal human skin (NHS) were immunolabelled using antibodies against keratin 14, 10, and 1, the carboxy-terminus and collagenous portion of type VII collagen, type IV collagen and bullous pemphigoid antigen (BP-Ag).Fresh samples of NHS were cryoprotected in 15% glycerol, cryofixed in propane at -190°C, subjected to freeze substitution in methanol at -80°C and embedded in Lowicryl K11M at -60°C. Polymerisation of the resin was initiated under UVR at - 60°C for 48 hours and continued at room temperature for a further 48 hours. Semith in sections were air dried onto slides coated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The following immunolabelling protocol was adopted: Primary antibody was applied for 2 hours at 37°C or overnight at 4°C. Following washing in Dulbecco’s phosphate buffered saline (PBSA) a biotinylated secondary antibody was applied for 2 hours at 37°C. The sections were further washed in PBSA and 1nm gold avidin was applied. Sections were finally washed in PBSA and silver enhanced.
Complete primary structure of the triple-helical region and the carboxyl-terminal domain of a new type IV collagen chain, alpha 5(IV).
