Autoradiography

Background: the presence of radioactive isotopes, e.g., 14C, 3H, 35S, 125I, is detected in tissue by covering tissue sections with photographic emulsion. At sites of radioactive material, the radioactive emission acts on the silver halide in the emulsion. Subsequent development and fixation turn radiated silver halide into black grains (see figure below).

Suitable for : studies of metabolism.

Not suitable for : studies of cell proliferation. Non-radioactive bromodeoxyuridine is recommended, incoporation of which is detectable by immunohistochemistry.

Note : we have no laboratory space for autoradiography, but we can provide assistance with this technique.

Autoradiography of formalin-fixed mouse vaginal epithelium shows the location of [³H]thymidine-labeled DNA (Courtesy of Drs. Irma Gimenez-Conti and Claudio Conti).