Immunogold labeling of calcium ATPase in sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle: use of 1-nm, 5-nm, and 10-nm gold.

We evaluated the use of immunogold electron microscopy to study the distribution of calcium ATPase in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane of skeletal muscle. We examined (a) 1-nm gold labeling, (b) the effect of gold size on immunolabeling, and (c) the densities of gold particles in areas of maximal labeling in fibers from rat extensor digitorum longus and pig gracilis muscles. The technique allowed unequivocal identification of the calcium ATPase. Gold particles of 1 nm were successfully visualized in unstained or lightly stained sections and the density of labeling was about 20 times greater than with 10-nm gold. The average densities in areas of intense labeling were 2878 +/- 139/microns 2 with 5-nm gold and 4310 +/- 276/microns 2 with 1-nm gold. These numbers are similar to the density of particles in freeze-fracture replicas of sarcoplasmic reticulum. The low density of 10-nm gold suggests that the large gold particles hinder binding of secondary to primary antibodies. The difference between 1- and 5-nm gold is explained by the amounts of gold conjugated to the immunoglobulin. The results suggest that there is a one-to-one relationship between secondary immunoglobulins (1-nm or 5-nm gold conjugates) and oligomeric complexes of calcium ATPase.