CellMask™ Deep Red Plasma Membrane Stain, 100 μL - FAQs

View additional product information for CellMask™ Plasma Membrane Stains - FAQs (C10045, C37608, C56129, C10046)

5 product FAQs found

I'm labeling live cells with Vybrant DiI or DiD lipophilic cyanine dyes. DiI gives a nice even membrane labeling, but DiD is more "spotty". What can be done?

This is expected. DiD (which is far-red fluorescent) is never as uniform as DiI (which is orange fluorescent). If uniformity is desired, try increasing the label time and concentration, but it still isn't likely to be as uniform as DiI. CellMask Deep Red Plasma Membrane stain is much more uniform and is about the same wavelength as DiD. However, if you intend to do cell tracking over days, CellMask stain has not been tried for that application.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

Can I use CellMask Plasma membrane stains or Alexa Fluor dye labeled wheat germ agglutinin to label the plasma membrane of my paraffin sections?

No. For paraffin sections, there are few options due to the delipidation of the membranes by solvents used in the deparaffinization steps. The only good option is to use an antibody against a plasma membrane protein.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

How long does the staining last with CellMask Plasma Membrane Stains?

Depending upon the cell type and experimental conditions, the plasma membrane staining will last for 60-90 min without detectable internalization, providing enough time for most live cell dynamic studies. The stain survives fixation, but not permeabilization.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

What dyes are used to make the CellMask stains?

The proprietary fluorescent dyes in the CellMask stains are general cytoplasmic stains. They are not found to bind to any specific cellular component.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

I want to label the plasma membrane of my cells, but there are several dyes to choose from. Which one should I use?

For live-cell imaging, the CellVue and CellMask Plasma Membrane Stains are the most uniform and the slowest to be endocytosed. However, they are not the best choice if you wish to fix and permeabilize your cells, such as for antibody labeling. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) conjugates are also able to label live cells, or can label already formaldehyde-fixed cells. They can survive subsequent permeabilization with detergents, such as Triton X-100. If cells are already permeabilized, WGA will label internal structures as well. Thus, only an antibody against a plasma membrane protein can be used if cells are already permeabilized. Lipophilic cyanine dyes, such as DiI, will label all cell membranes in live cells, not just plasma membranes, if left on live cells for extended periods. Following page will help you choose (http://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/cell-analysis/cell-structure/plasma-membrane.html).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.