Immunolabelointi

Immunolabelointi, also known as immunochemistry or immunocytochemistry when applied to cells, is a widely used laboratory technique that employs antibodies to detect and visualize specific antigens within biological samples. This method relies on the highly specific binding of an antibody to its target antigen. The antibody is typically conjugated to a detectable label, such as an enzyme, a fluorescent molecule, or a gold particle.

The process usually begins with preparing the biological sample, which can be tissue sections, cell cultures, or even whole organisms. The sample is then incubated with the primary antibody that specifically recognizes the antigen of interest. After washing away unbound primary antibody, a secondary antibody, which is conjugated to a label and recognizes the primary antibody, is applied. This secondary antibody amplifies the signal and allows for visualization.

Detection of the label then reveals the location and distribution of the antigen within the sample. For enzyme-conjugated antibodies, a substrate is added that reacts with the enzyme to produce a colored precipitate. Fluorescent labels allow visualization using a fluorescence microscope, while gold particles can be detected using electron microscopy. Immunolabelointi is a versatile tool used in a variety of fields, including cell biology, histology, pathology, and drug discovery, to study protein localization, expression levels, and cellular processes.