Question

you are a researcher interesting in studying the cytoskeleton. how can you use antibodies to locate actin-and tubulin- containing structures?

Answer 1

you will want to use an antibody connected to a molecular fluorescent. antibodies are proteins that bind to specific strucutres, like actin (nomenclature: [desired species]-anti-actin). if you connect the antibody to another protein like GFP ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_fluorescent_protein ), you will be able to detect exactly, where in the cell the actin structures lie. the mechanism is simple: throw light of a distinct wave length onto the cell (under the microscope) and detect the fluorescence. same goes for tubulin.