Re: GFP/DNA

From: Derek Davies (daviesd2@icrf.icnet.uk)
Date: Mon Aug 21 2000 - 03:51:27 EST


On Tue, 8 Aug 2000, William Ross wrote:
> what's a good dye to use for simultaneous DNA and GFP detection when your
> UV laser has taken an extended vacation? cardiac smooth muscle cells.

Hi Bill,

Do you need to keep the cells live? If not, you may be able to use a
sequential paraformaldehyde and ethanol fixation to retain sufficient
GFP expression and still get a reasonable DNA profile. Trial and error
experiments with the strength and time of the PF fix will be needed.

It will also depend on where the GFP localises and whether you are using
co-transfection or a fusion protein. Clontech markets a farnesylated GFP
(EGFP-F) which localises in the membrane and is resistant to ethanol
fixation so you can use a regular ethanol fix and PI stain. If your GFP
fluorescence is destroyed by fixation, you could try permeabilisation
(saponin probably best) and then PI, 7AAD or TO-PRO-3.

The only 488nm excitable vital DNA quantitation dye that I am aware of,
as others have said, is DRAQ5 developed by Paul Smiths group (there are
a couple of papers in recent issues of Cytometry).

Good luck!

Derek


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FACS Laboratory,                   FAX: (44) 020 7269 3100
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