Visualizing fixed cells and tissues only gives snapshots of cellular processes. To have a better insight into dynamic events ocurring in the cells or to vizualize interactions between various cellular components in real time (e.g., proteins, organelles, second messengers…), powerful microscopic approaches have been developed over the past decade. This post will review the recent live cell imaging probes developed by Goryo Chemicalsand available in Europe through tebu-bio.
Fig. 1: Live HeLa cells stained with SiR-DNA (confocal imaging). Courtesy of D. Gerlich and C. Blaukopf, IMB Vienna. SiR-DNA molecular structure in white.
In their most recent publication “SiR-Hoechst, a far-red DNA stain for live-cell nanoscopy” in Nature Communications, Lukinavičius et al. (1) define ideal characteristics of a nuclear stain for live cell imaging approaches. The stain should…
- show high selectivity
- minimal toxicity
- be fluorogenic for wash-free imaging
- be applicable in different cell types and tissues
- be excited by far-red light
- be suitable for super-resolution microscopy
None of the nuclear stains on the market meets all these crucial requirements leading thus to the need for a new tool for live cell staining experiments of the nucleus.