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TheViability/CytotoxicityAssayKitforAnimalLive&DeadCellsprovidesgreen/redfluorescentstainingofliveanddeadcells,respectively.Theassayemploystwoprobesthatdetectintracellularesteraseactivityinlivecellsandcompromisedplasmamembraneintegrityindeadcells.TheesterasesubstratecalceinAMstainslivecellsgreen,whilethemembrane-impermeableDNAdyeEthidiumhomodimerIII(EthD-III)stainsdeadcellsred.Thekitissuitablefordetectionusingfluorescencemicroscopy,fluorescencemicroplatereader,orflowcytometry.Theassayprinciplesaregeneralandapplicabletomosteukaryoticcelltypes,includingadherentcellsandcertaintissues,butnottobacteriaoryeast.Thisfluorescence-basedmethodofassessingcellviabilitycanbeusedinplaceoftrypanblueexclusion,51Crrelease,andsimilarmethodsfordeterminingcellviabilityandcytotoxicity.EthD-III(#40050and#40051)isaproprietaryDNAstaindevelopedbyBiotiumtobeasuperioralternativetothespectrallysimilardyeEthidiumhomodimerI(EthD-I).EthD-IIIhashigherDNAbindingaffinityandthusbrighterfluorescence(30%brighterthanEthD-I).
SpectralProperties
Calcein(endproductafterhydrolysisofcalceinAM):
Ex/Em:494/517nm(pH8)
EthidiumhomodimerIII(EthDIII):
Ex/Em:530/620nm(withDNA)
References
1.Biotechniques29,874-880(2000).