HMB-45 is a monoclonal antibody specific for melanoma cells and premature developing melanocytes. We examined the expression and specific subcellular binding sites of HMB-45 in various types of melanocytes including epidermal melanocytes from fetuses and infants with or without tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism (type IA), melanin-producing and non-producing melanoma cell lines (G361 and MeWo), and in vivo melanoma cells (melanotic and amelanotic malignant melanoma). Subcellular HMB-45 binding was examined by using post-embedding immunogold electron microscopy with rapid freezing and freeze substitution fixation methods without the use of chemical fixatives to preserve the intracytoplasmic delicate antigen property of HMB-45. HMB-45 antigen was detected not only in in vivo melanoma cells and normal fetal melanocytes, but also in melanocytes in the other conditions. Post-embedding immunogold electron microscopy revealed that HMB-45 antigen was exclusively localized to stages I and II melanosomes in the cytoplasm of neoplastic melanocytes, but was detected mainly on stages II and III melanosomes in the melanocytes from fetuses and infants. In tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism, only stages I and II melanosomes were detected in the cytoplasm, but both stages of melanosomes were HMB-45 positive. We conclude that HMB-45 appears mainly on the immature melanosomes during melanogenesis in both neoplastic and non-neoplastic melanocytes regardless of their tyrosinase activity, but the intracytoplasmic localization of HMB-45 antigen is different by each condition of melanocytes.