dual staining of transcription factor and DNA

From: Maria Johansson (Maria.Johansson@mtc.ki.se)
Date: Mon May 10 1999 - 04:28:49 EST


This question is posted on behalf of Patricia L. Yeyati, please reply to the
mailing list and not directly to me.

/Maria
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am trying to do dual staining of a transcription factor and DNA by
paraformaldehide fixation and PI for DNA content. I had excellent
results with Schmidth methods (0.25% PFA and Tween permeabilization)when
I over-express my protein in a myeloid cell line, but when I try to do
the same with embryonic stem cells (which endogenously express my
proitein) I either get good protein staining or DNA but never in the
same sample so I can never identify the cell cycle stage of cells that
express my transcription factor. I have tryed with ethaniol fixation but
I looose protein staining and even with PFA fixation I loose protein
detection in about 30% when I add PI, which then makes positive cells
look almost the same as the controls. I am afraid that becouse my
experimental protein is bound to DNA thehen PI intercalates with the DNA
displaces this protein and that is its detection is so decraesed.

1) should I change fixation conditions?
2) Why does PI prescence decrease protein detection?

Any sugestion is welcomed.

Thank you in advance.
Patricia


--
Patricia L. Yeyati, PhD

John Hughes Bennett Laboratory - Leukaemia Research Fund
University of Edinburgh
Western General Hospital        Tel: +44-131- 537-- 3155
Crewe Road                      Fax: +44-131- 537 3160
Edinburgh EH4 2XU 	        http://www.ed.ac.uk/
UK



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