Thanks for all your input. I had already come across the staining
methods described. However, what I was after was a stain that
specifically renders the flagellum fluorescent but not the rest of the
cell. The use of Alexa comes closest to that as it basically labels
the entire cell surface. However, I would like the cell body to remain
dark in order to investigate the cells using flow cytometry. Perhaps
the ideal would be an anti-flagellum antibody that reacts to native
flagellum - not denatured.
Thanks again for all your help
Gerhard Nebe-von-Caron
John Gentile <yjgent at home.com> wrote in message news:<B7FF81AC.231%yjgent at home.com>...
> Liefson's (?spelling) flagella stain is a fuschin based stain and is VERY
> difficult to get a good stain. The glass slides must be super clean, the
> organisms must be a young culture and diluted to the right concentration.
> Any agitation in the dilution process or even in the smearing can dislodge
> the flagella.
>>> --
> John Gentile MS M(ASCP)
> Laboratory Information, QA Manager
> VA Medical Center
> Providence, RI
>yjgent at home.com>>>> > From: "Kevin Carter" <K.Carter at bham.ac.uk>
> > Organization: The University of Birmingham news server
> > Newsgroups:
> >
> sci.bio.microbiology,bionet.microbiology,sci.bio.immunocytochem,sci.bio.ecol
> og> y
> > Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 13:52:17 +0100
> > Subject: Re: Staining of flagella
> >
> > Isn't acid fast staining ok for flagella
> > KC
> >
> > "Emir Khatipov" <khatipovNO at NOuchicago.edu> wrote in message
> > news:VCoB7.130$N4.4377 at news.uchicago.edu...> >> I don't know of any fluorescent staining methods, but I do remember that:
> >> 1) in many cases flagella can be seen under polarized light - if the bugs
> >> are too motile, you can try making a slide with 0.7% agar
> >> 2) careful heat fixation (or fixation in Os vapors) and staining with
> >> protein-binding dyes like crystal violet allows to see flagella, too.
> >>
> >> Otherwise check Methods of Mol. Bacteriology, Ed. Gerhardt (don't remember
> >> year, might be wrong with the title, too, but you can find it in
> >> Amazon.com).
> >>
> >> Emir
> >>
> >>
> >> "gerhard" <gerne1 at hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >> news:4005dc5d.0109071943.2d7d4c24 at posting.google.com...> >>> Hi everyone
> >>>
> >>> I would like to detect the presence of flagella on bacteria,
> >>> preferentially by fluorescence.
> >>>
> >>> Does anyone know of a flagellum specific fluorescent stain, perhaps an
> >>> antibody that recognises flagella of a variety of species?
> >>>
> >>> Thanks in advance
> >>>
> >>> Gerhard Nebe-von-Caron
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
