Freeze fracture immunocytochemistry of light-harvesting pigment complexes in a cryptophyte

M. Vesk*, D. Dwarte, S. Fowler, R. G. Hiller

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    24 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Immunocytochemical techniques using colloidal gold as the marker have been used to examine the location of the two light harvesting pigment-protein complexes in cryptophyte chloroplasts. A comparison of post-embedding thin section labelling and freeze fracture labelling has been carried out on Rhodomonas salina using polyclonal antibodies to a chlorophyll a/c2 light-harvesting complex, phycoerythrin and the β-subunit of phycoerythrin. The effect of different fixation procedures on the intensity of labelling and ac curacy of antigen location have been examined and the effectiveness of uranyl acetate and tannic acid in improving both the preservation of thylakoid structure and labelling density of phycoerythrin has been demonstrated. Freeze fracture labelling gives better spatial res olution of the different antigens than post-embedding labelling, as well as better definition of thylakoid membranes. It confirms the location of phycoerythrin in the thylakoid lumen and the location of the chlorophyll a/c2 LHC in both appressed and unappressed thylakoid membranes.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)166-176
    Number of pages11
    JournalProtoplasma
    Volume170
    Issue number3-4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 1992

    Keywords

    • Chlorophyll a/c
    • Chloroplasts
    • Cryptophytes
    • fracture labelling
    • Freeze
    • Immunocytochemistry
    • Light-harvesting complexes
    • Phycoerythrin

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