Uptake of maternal immunoglobulins in the enterocytes of suckling piglets: improved detection with a streptavidin-biotin bridge gold technique.

In ungulates, intestinal absorption of maternal immunoglobulins from colostrum plays a vital role in the acquisition of passive immunity during early neonatal life. In the present study we used post-embedding colloidal gold labeling to examine the intracellular localization of IgG in the jejunal enterocytes of miniature piglets suckled for 2 hr. Quantitation of the immunolabeling revealed that the most sensitive technique for IgG detection was the streptavidin bridge-gold technique. In this method, the LR White-embedded sections were labeled sequentially with biotinylated anti-porcine IgG, streptavidin, and biotinylated BSA conjugated to 10-nm colloidal gold. With this approach, we found the following sequence of maternal IgG accumulation: passage of IgG from colostrum through the brush border; binding to the apical plasma membrane; uptake in noncoated pits and invaginations; transport in endocytotic vesicles; and accumulation in granules in the apical cytoplasm.