News in Immunohistochemistry
A Revolution in the Detection of Proteins
Duolink™ enables researchers to study signalling pathways in native cells and tissue in revolutionizing ways. Based on Olink Bioscience’s proprietary in situ Proximity Ligation Assay (in situ PLA), Duolink™ makes it possible to visualize, localize, and quantify individual protein interactions and modifications using standard fluorescence microscopy.
This is the first technology that can readily detect and localize protein interactions without the need of tedious genetic engineering to tag and over-express proteins. Thereby, endogenous protein interactions in cells and tissue can be visualized using your regular immuno-staining antibodies combined with the generic Duolink™ kit.
Each spot makes the difference
The unique abiltity of in situ PLA™ to detect protein modifications, interactions, and their location in tissue samples offers exciting new opportunities in biomarker research. By providing the element of dual recognition to in situ analyses, pathology can expand into a new arena of analytes, beyond measuring the abundance of just a single protein.
PLA™, a proximity ligation assay technology, is capable of detecting single protein events such as protein interactions (e.g. protein dimerization) and modifications (e.g. protein phosphorylation).
The Duolink® reagent series, based on PLA, offers an unprecedented level of sensitivity and specificity for protein detection in fixed cells and tissues. The principle of the technology is based on two unique bi-functional probes called PLA probes. Each PLA probe consists of an antibody attached to a unique synthetic oligonucleotide, which acts as a reporter. The assay provides exact spatial information on the location of the events and an objective means of quantifying the events.
In principle, with appropriate antibodies, in situ PLA can detect any antigen with proximate epitopes at the single molecule level.