Techniques in Immunocytochemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Techniques in Immunocytochemistry - Essay Example After that, both slides were incubated in a medium containing diaminobenzidine (DAB). The sections were mounted with a minimal volume of the aqua mount and were then visualized under a light microscope. The tissue that was incubated with primary antibody was given a blue nucleus with a brown colored background; this indicates the presence of the target antigen (Griffins, 2011). Immunocytochemistry is a common laboratory technique that makes use of antibodies to target specific antigens in a cell via specific epitopes (an epitope is the part of an antigen that is recognized by antibodies). These bound antibodies can then be detected by using many different methods. The antigen is bound by a primary antibody, which is then amplified by use of a secondary antibody. The secondary antibody can be an enzyme that is conjugated. Immunocytochemistry binds antibodies that are specific reagents and allow unique detection of proteins and molecules. It is a valuable tool for the determination of cellular content from individual cells (Gillian et al., 2011). The tissue sections of the cardiac myosin were cut and fixed in acetone. After this, the slides were unwrapped and each slide was placed in a plastic petri-dish. The two plastic Petri-dishes were labeled; one was the control and the other the antibody. A piece of paper was put underneath each slide to form a humidity chamber. The tissue sections were blocked by adding two drops. A PBS buffer containing three percent BSA was introduced and then the tissue incubated at room temperature for five minutes. After that, the excess medium was tipped and the zone around the tissue section was wiped dry with paper toweling.