Digoxigenin labeling

Digoxigenin is increasingly used as a label for nonradioactive detection of nucleic acids and proteins. A variety of methods for labeling are described as well as numerous applications of technology.     

Reactive group-embedded affinity labeling reagent for efficient intracellular protein labeling

Affinity labeling of a target protein is a powerful method for chemical biology studies. However, it is still difficult to label intracellular proteins efficiently in living cells. We propose the novel design strategy of a reactive group-embedded affinity labeling reagent for efficient protein labeling. With FKBP12 as the model target protein, the ligand binding pocket-oriented labeling reagent could label intracellular protein, whereas protein surface-oriented reagent was ineffective for labeling in living cells, partially because of the intracellular protein fluctuation under the macromolecular crowding effects. These results provide new insight for efficient intracellular protein labeling.     

Freeze-fracture immunogold labeling

 Several approaches have been developed to combine immunogold cytochemistry and freeze-fracture techniques. These methods are highly heterogeneous regarding both the sequence of the procedural steps and the aspect of the resulting images. They imply immunolabeling either before or after freeze-fracture or even immunolabeling of platinum/carbon replicas of the freeze-fractured membranes, and have been used alternatively or in parallel to address different questions related to cell membrane structure, composition and dynamics or to intracellular membrane traffic. This review will briefly describe these methods and report most of their immunogold cytochemical applications, with the aim of facilitating selection of the most appropriate approach. Accepted: 2 May 1996     

Resin-supported labeling reagents

Resin-supported fluorescein, coumarin, acridinium, and biotin active esters were prepared from a new N-hydroxysuccinimidyl resin in high yield. The active esters were used to prepare representative conjugates with estriol, thyroxine, phenytoin, and desipramine haptens without need for purification beyond removal of the spent resin.     

Spin labeling EPR

Photosynthesis Research - Site-directed spin labeling in combination with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy has emerged as an efficient tool to elucidate the structure and conformational...     

End labeling procedures

There are two ways to label a DNA molecular; by the ends or all along the molecule. End labeling can be performed at the 3′- or 5′-end. Labeling at the 3′ end is performed by filling 3′-end recessed ends with a mixture or labeled and unlabeled dNTPs using Klenow or T4 DNA polymerases. Both reactions are template dependent. Terminal deoxynucleotide transferase incorporates dNTPs at the 3′ end of any kind of DNA molecule or RNA. Labels incorporated at the 3′-end of the DNA molecule prevent any further extension or ligation to any other molecule, but this can be overcome by labeling the 5′-end of the desired DNA molecule. 5′-end labeling is performed by enzymatic methods (T4 polynucleotide kinase exchange and forward reactions), by chemical modification of sensitized oligonucleotides with phosphoroamidite, or by combined methods. Probe cleanup is recommended when high background problems occur, but caution should be taken not to damage the attached probe with harsh chemicals or by light exposure.     

Immunogold-silver labeling in histology

Immunogold-silver staining is a relatively new technique in light-microscopic immunocytochemistry. It is based on silver enhancement of 1 to 10 nm gold probes immunologically bound to antigenic determinants in tissue sections. The detection efficiency of this third-generation detection technique is compared to that of the peroxidase-based ABC technique in routinely processed, paraffin-embedded, human biopsy material.     

Isotopic labeling of thiamine

Thiamine of high specific radioactivity has been prepared by catalytic incorporation of tritium using ³H₂O and platinum. Purification of a crude commercially available product is described and the radiolabeling pattern is determined by NMR analysis of deuterated thiamine.     

Protein labeling by acetylation

A method has been developed for labeling proteins by acetylation without appreciable loss in biological activity.     

Photoaffinity labeling of bacteriorhodopsin

14C-Labeled optically pure 3S- and 3R-(diazoacetoxy)-all-trans-retinals were incorporated separately into bacterioopsin to reconstitute functional bacteriorhodopsin (bR) analogues, 3S- and 3R-diazo-bRs. UV irradiation at 254 nm generated highly reactive carbenes, which cross-linked the radiolabeled retinals to amino acid residues in the vicinity of the beta-ionine ring. The 3S- and 3R-diazo analogues were found to cross-link, respectively, to cyanogen bromide fragments CN 7/CN9 and CN 8/CN 9. More specifically, Thr121 and Gly122 in fragment CN 7 were found to be cross-linked to the 3S-diazo analogue. The identification of cross-linked residues and fragments favors assignments of the seven helices A-G-F-E-D-C-B or B-C-D-E-F-G-A to helices 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 in the two-dimensional electron density map (Henderson et al., 1975, 1986; Mogi et al., 1987). The present results show that the chromophore chain is oriented with the ionone ring inclined toward the outside of the membrane (the 9-methyl group also faces the extracellular side of the membrane).     

Diazirine based photoaffinity labeling

Diazirines are among the smallest photoreactive groups that form a reactive carbene upon light irradiation. This feature has been widely utilized in photoaffinity labeling to study ligand-receptor, ligand-enzyme and protein-protein interactions, and in the isolation and identification of unknown proteins. This review summarizes recent advances in the use of diazirines in photoaffinity labeling.     

Quantitation of immunogold labeling

Most of the published, quantitative immunogold labeling studies do not reflect the true concentration of antigen in a given cell compartment. Presently, the majority of the data on labeling density provides a potential way to follow the distribution of antigens, but does not indicate the quantitative concentration of the antigen present. The majority of the published quantitative data is semiquantitative. Ideal quantitative data must relate the intensity of the immunoreaction to the concentration of the underlying antigen population. Since this requirement is not fulfilled by most of the available methods, caution is warranted in interpreting the immunogold quantitative data. The difficulty in obtaining reproducible quantitative data is also due to the fact that preparatory procedures are quantitatively unknown parameters with respect to quantitative immunogold postembedding and preembedding labeling.     

Double labeling of transferrin: tritium labeling of sialic acid and 125I or 59Fe labeling of the protein moiety

A method is described in which the glycoprotein transferrin was double labeled. Its sialic acid residues were labeled with 3H through a consecutive oxidation-reduction technique utilizing tritiated NaBH4. Its protein moiety was labeled with either 125I or 59Fe. Incubation of this double-labeled molecule at 4 degrees C with K562 cells gave overlapping curves, indicating identical patterns of binding for all labels. At 37 degrees C, 3H and 125I demonstrated identical patterns while 59Fe was cummulatively retained. This method can be used to follow the fate of other glycoproteins and their possible desialation in vivo.     

Enzymatic labeling of nucleic acids

Enzymatic labeling of nucleic acids is a fundamental tool in molecular biology with virtually every aspect of nucleic acid hybridization technique involving the use of labeled probes. Different methods for enzymatic labeling of DNA, RNA and oligonucleotide probes are available today. In this review, we will describe both radioactive and nonradioactive labeling methods, yet the choice of system for labeling the probe depends on the application under study.     

Sequence-specific spin labeling of DNA

Several DNA fragments deriving from plasmid pBR322 were used to determine the modification sites caused by the reaction with alkylating spin-labeling probes. At a high spin-label concentration, all guanines became alkylated, causing the cleavage of the phosphodiester bonds upon the treatment with piperidine. The lengths of the breakage products of 5'-end labeled DNA treated with spin labels were compared with the length of DNA scission products generated by Maxam-Gilbert procedure for DNA sequence analysis. The distribution of the guanine modifications is dependent on the amount of the reagent used for the alkylation and the ionic conditions of the reaction. The frequency of alkylation by spin labels was greatly enhanced within continuous runs of guanines in DNA. The stabilization of the DNA structure by magnesium or spermine directs the spin-label binding specifically to the most exposed region of DNA fragment containing GGTGG sequence. The sequence-dependent interaction of spin labels with DNA enables the development of the method for the selective spin labeling of DNA molecule.     

Nonperturbing fluorescent labeling of polysaccharides

A fluorescent labeling procedure, which does not perturb macromolecular conformations, was employed to bind a rhodamine derivative to the reducing end of several water-soluble polysaccharides by reductive amination in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and size exclusion chromatography were used to demonstrate that the conformations of the polysaccharides schizophyllan, polygalacturonic acid (PGUA), succinoglycan, and several dextrans were maintained following the labeling procedure.