[Histonet] Considerations about Warthin-Starry principle

[Gudrun Lang]

Dear histonetters,

 

I came across a question regarding the Warthin-Starry principle. Are
bacterial catalase or oxidase the cause for developement of silver-deposits?

 

The usual explanation is, that bacteria are able to bind silver onto their
surface, that is further reduced by hydrochinon to visible silver-deposits.
But why?

Some considerations:

The pH must be held at pH4 with citric acid in the WS developement-solution.
(Is this the pH-optimum for the bacterial enzymes?)

IHC shows that endogenous peroxidase survives the embedding-process. (Is
this also true for the bacterial enzymes?)

Spirochetes (and others) are catalase and oxidase positive.

Silver-In situ hybdridisation technique shows, that peroxidase with H2O2 can
be used to reduce Silveracetate for silver-deposits. 

 

Is there a possible relationship between the bacterial enzymes and the WS
principle?

Or am I totally on an erroneous way? What do you think?

 

thanks for any input.

Gudrun Lang