Postembedding immunogold histochemistry for the localization of laminin and its E4 and P1 fragments in mouse kidney embedded in LR-White and LR-Gold

Abstract

A method is presented which permits the ultrastructural localization of laminin and its E4 and P1 subunits in the renal cortex of the mouse embedded in LR-White or LR-Gold. It was performed with postembedding immunogold histochemistry using polyclonal antibodies against either the entire laminin molecular or the E4 fragment or with a monoclonal antibody against the P1 fragment. Localization of laminin was achieved in LR-White and in LR-Gold embedded kidney. Using polyclonal antibodies against the entire laminin molecule, laminin could be localized with direct as well as with indirect immunogold histochemistry with a gold labelled IgG as secondary antibody. In contrast, immunostaining for the E4 or the P1 fragments was possible only with antibodies directly labelled with gold.