Immunoperoxidase

Immunoperoxidase is a type of immunostain used in molecular biology, medical research, and clinical diagnostics. In particular, immunoperoxidase reactions refer to a sub-class of immunohistochemical or immunocytochemical procedures in which the antibodies are visualized via a peroxidase-catalyzed reaction.

and are methods used to determine in which cells or parts of cells a particular protein or other macromolecule are located. These stains use antibodies to bind to specific antigens, usually of protein or glycoprotein origin. Since antibodies are normally invisible, special strategies must be employed to detect these bound antibodies. In an immunoperoxidase procedure, an enzyme known as a peroxidase is used to catalyze a chemical reaction to produce a coloured product.

Simply, a very thin slice of tissue is fixed onto glass, incubated with antibody or a series of antibodies, the last of which is chemically linked to the peroxidase enzyme. After developing the stain by adding the chemical substrate, the distribution of the stain can be examined by microscopy.

Originally all antibodies produced for immunostaining were polyclonal, i.e. raised by normal antibody reactions in animals such as horses or rabbits. Now, many are monoclonal, i.e. produced in tissue culture. Monoclonal antibodies that consist of only one type of antibody tend to provide greater antigen specificity, and also tend to be more consistent between batches.

The first step in immunoperoxidase staining is the binding of the specific (primary) antibody to the cell or tissue sample. The detection of the primary antibody can be then accomplished directly (example 1) or indirectly (examples 2 & 3).

Optimal staining depends on a number of factors including the antibody dilution, the staining chemicals, the preparation and/or fixation of the cells/tissue, and length of incubation with antibody/staining reagents. These are often determined by trial and error rather than any sort of systematic approach.

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