Accessibility of gonococcal and meningococcal surface antigens: immunogold labeling for quantitative electron microscopy.

The parallel application of two electron microscopic immunogold labeling procedures was used to assess the surface exposure and accessibility of gonococcal and meningococcal surface antigens. Monoclonal antibodies were used as markers for the surface antigens, i.e., outer membrane proteins and lipooligosaccharides. To evaluate the labeling densities obtained after incubation of whole bacteria in suspension or ultrathin cryosections of bacteria, a method of electron microscopic quantitation was developed. Incubation of whole bacterial suspensions with monoclonal antibodies and protein A-gold resulted in specific labeling of the bacterial surfaces. However, the labeling densities varied largely in each cell. By contrast, cryosections showed uniform heavy labeling densities at the surface of the outer membranes of all cells. Apparently, by sectioning the cells the antigen-masking barrier could be evaded, and steric hindrance was no longer restrictive. Thus, a better estimate of both the presence and the surface exposure, i.e., the accessibility of antigens, could be made. Such information is essential for us to better understand host-bacterial interactions and to develop new vaccines.