Re: Can't get BrdU labeling

From: Nick Gonchoroff (gonchorn@upstate.edu)
Date: Mon Jul 29 2002 - 08:01:38 EST


I would suggest adding a little FdU to the mix.  It will stop all de novo syntheses of
thymidine within the cell.  Years ago I read an article that suggested that most cells
had about a 6 minute reserve of thymidine.  Get past that reserve and then you can get
BrdU incorporated.  Don't add FdU and you are competing with the normal cell machinery.

Nick J. Gonchoroff

>>> "Salinas, Richard" <rsalinas@saci.org> 07/23 5:20 PM >>>

Greetings,

I am having some trouble with my attempts at labeling cells (HL60) with
BrdU. I have not been able to see any labeling with BrdU-FITC antibody. I am
using the following basic protocol:

1.  Incubate cells for 30 min/37*C with 20µL/mL of 10mM BrdU Stock. (Flasks
are foil wrapped to avoid light exposure.)
2.  Spin cells, remove media supernatant.
3.  Wash 2x with cold PBS.
4.  Resuspend pellet and fix with cold 70% ETOH and store at 4*C in the
dark. (Usually left overnight.)
5.  Centrifuge cells, remove ETOH supernatant.
6.  Resuspend pellet and add 3mL 4N HCl and incubate 30 min/RT.
7.  Centrifuge cells, remove HCl supernatant.
8.  Resuspend pellet and wash with PBS.
9.  Resuspend pellet and wash with 0.5%Tween 20 solution+PBS .
10. Centrifuge cells, remove Tween 20 supernatant.
11. Add 10µL anti-BrdU-FITC and incubate for 30min/RT/dark.
12. Wash 2x with cold PBS.
13. Resuspend pellet and add 1mL of PI in PBS.

I have seen other protocols and they are more/less the same. Can anyone
share some insight on my problem. Is there something that I am missing?

Thanks.

Richard


****************************
Richard A. Salinas
Flow Cytometry Laboratory
Dept. of Radiation Oncology
UTHSCSA
Texas Research Park
(210) 677-3882
rsalinas@saci.org



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Jan 05 2003 - 19:26:16 EST