Technologies

Short Description

Novel non-toxic reagent for specifically detecting a cell membrane component

Abstract

Northwestern University researchers have developed a new reagent for specifically staining phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in cell membranes. PE is a major phospholipid found in cellular membranes, but it is difficult to study due to a dearth of molecular probes for its detection. There are only two specific PE binding molecules, and these exhibit toxicity when used in cell biology studies. This novel reagent modifies one of these PE-binding molecules such that its toxicity is drastically lowered. Furthermore, the staining process is simplified as this novel probe is rendered fluorescent by conjugation of GFP. This innovative staining reagent will enable all manner of cell biology studies as it can be used in conjunction with flow cytometry and fluorescense microscopy for cell and tissue staining.