Gold labeling of teichoic acid on adjacent surfaces of staphylococcus aureus

Gold labeling of two antigens (double labeling) is often done on two section surfaces separated by section thickness. Whether labeling is done on both sides of the same section or on two parallel surfaces separated by section thickness (PSSST), comparable results are dependent on an equal number of epitopes being exposed at each surface. We propose a method to study protein labeling within the same field of proteins, by examining two directly adjacent surfaces that were split during sectioning. The number of labeling sites on adjacent surfaces (AS) were compared to sites on PSSST surfaces in individual bacteria.Since each bacteria needed to be recognizable in all three section surfaces, one-hole grids were used for labeling. One-hole grids require a supporting membrane and excessive handling during labeling often ruptures the membrane. To minimize handling, a labeling chamber was designed that is inexpensive, disposable, minimizes contamination, and uses a minimal amount of solution.