Dextrans & Other Fluid Phase Tracers

5(6)-CFDA (full name: 5-(and-6)-Carboxyfluorescein diacetate) is membrane-permeant and thus can be loaded into cells via incubation. Once inside cells, CFDA is hydrolyzed by intracellular esterases to carboxyfluorescein (see #51013 ).

Fixable cytoplasmic stains for monitoring cell division by flow cytometry. The dyes can also be used to track cell populations in co-culture.

CF® Dye labeled dextrans could be used as a fluorescent fluid-phase markers to study cell permeability, endocytosis, or mechanisms of biomolecular delivery. The dextran is 150,000 MW, and contains a formaldehyde-fixable free-amine group; available with a selection of CF® Dyes.

This dextran is 40,000 MW, and contains a formaldehyde-fixable free-amine group; available with a selection of CF® dyes.

This dextran is 70,000 MW, and contains a formaldehyde-fixable free-amine group; available with a selection of CF® Dyes.

This dextran is 250,000 MW, and contains a formaldehyde-fixable free-amine group; available with a selection of CF® dyes.

TMR biocytin is a cell-impermeant, fixable polar tracer that combines the tetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA) with biotin and an aldehyde-fixable primary amine.  Polar tracers are commonly used to investigate cell-cell and cell-liposome fusion as well as membrane permeability and transport through gap junctions or cell uptake during pinocytosis.

Biotin ethylenediamine, hydrochloride is functionally equivalent to Neurobiotin™ (biotin ethylenediamine, hydrobromide, 90057).

Biotin ethylenediamine in free base form. White solid soluble in DMSO.

Biotin ethylenediamine, hydrobromide (N-(5-(6-((biotinoyl)amino)hexanoyl)amino)pentylmaleimide) is identical to Neurobiotin™, a useful anterograde and transneuronal tracer.

Biocytin (ε-Biotinoyl-L-lysine) is a very useful cellular tracer that can be introduced into cells by microinjection.

Biotium developed SDIP/Eu³ as an alternative to DPA/Tb³ (80104), which is used for vesicle fusion assays.

The principle of DPA/Tb³ for vesicle fusion assay is based on the fact that contact of the chelator dipicolinic acid (DPA) with terbium (III) forms an instant Tb³ -DPA complex that is ~10,000 times more fluorescent than free Tb³ . In the assay, separate vesicle populations are loaded with 2.5 mM TbCl3 in 50 mM sodium citrate, or 50 mM DPA in 20 mM NaCl.

Similar to other sulforhodamine dyes, the highly water-soluble sulforhodamine G can also be used as a polar tracer for the studies of cell morphology and neuronal cell-cell communication (1-3).

Similar to other sulforhodamine dyes, the highly water-soluble sulforhodamine B can also be used as a polar tracer for the studies of cell morphology and neuronal cell-cell communication (1-3). In addition, sulforhodamine B has been shown to be a superior protein stain for use in the quantification of cellular proteins of cultured cells.

Sulforhodamine 101 has a longer absorption wavelength than does sulforhodamine B. Like sulforhodamine B and G, in addition to their potential use in cancer drug screening, these fluorescent dyes have been primarily used as polar tracers for the studies of neuronal cell morphology and cell-cell communication.