CONFOCALMICROSCOPY Archives

March 2013

CONFOCALMICROSCOPY@LISTS.UMN.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
Confocal Microscopy List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 8 Mar 2013 16:02:29 +0000
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (56 lines)
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Martin,

              I must say I am very worried by your statement "Antibodies that work for one application (e.g., westerns) may be completely unusable for another (e.g., IF)".  Can you give me a biological reason for this?  It would seem to make most cell biological work impossible.  I would assume that most of us work the same way as me - ie using microscopy to identify the location, and chromatography to characterise the protein.  If you don't use the same antibody both times you will just be generating nonsense!  

                                                                              Guy

________________________________________
From: Confocal Microscopy List [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Martin Wessendorf [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 09 March 2013 02:31
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: antibodies for immunofluorescence

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

Dear Michal--

On 3/8/2013 2:36 AM, Micha³ Majkowski wrote:

> I do not know if this is a good place to address my problem as it
> regards immunofluorescence. The problem is: we have in the lab
> antibodies dedicated to Western Blot (according to manufacturer; Abcam).
> We used them to IF and we obtained some nice images. What do you think
> about such data? Should it be confirmed by IgG dedicated to IF? Thank
> you for help.

The quick and safe answer is that you can never trust any antibody for
any purpose without first characterizing it thoroughly.

Antibodies that work for one application (e.g., westerns) may be
completely unusable for another (e.g., IF)...or they may work perfectly.
  A starting point is to compare the labeling that you obtain, to the
labeling that's previously been published.  The "gold standard" is to
demonstrate that the labeling is not observed in a knockout animal.

Cliff Saper at Journal of Comparative Neurology published an editorial
on antibody use that may be helpful.  It can be found at:
http://www.wiley.com/legacy/wileyblackwell/images/antibody_editorial .

Good luck!

Martin Wessendorf

--
Martin Wessendorf, Ph.D.                   office: (612) 626-0145
Assoc Prof, Dept Neuroscience                 lab: (612) 624-2991
University of Minnesota             Preferred FAX: (612) 624-8118
6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St. SE    Dept Fax: (612) 626-5009
Minneapolis, MN  55455                    e-mail: [log in to unmask]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2