Invitrogen™ DiOC6(3) (3,3'-Dihexyloxacarbocyanine Iodide)

Catalog No.	Quantity
D273	100 mg

Catalog No. D273 Supplier Invitrogen™ Supplier No. D273

Description

For use with fluorescence microscopy

DiOC₆(3) is a cell-permeant, green-fluorescent, lipophilic dye that is selective for the mitochondria of live cells, when used at low concentrations. At higher concentrations, the dye may be used to stain other internal membranes, such as the endoplasmic reticulum.

Apoptosis, Cell Analysis, Cell Structure, Cell Viability, Proliferation & Function, Mitochondria, Mitochondria Function, Mitochondrial Function

Order Info

Shipping Condition: Room Temperature

Specifications

• Color: Green
• Content And Storage: Store at room temperature and protect from light.
• Detection Method: Fluorescence
• For Use With (Equipment): Fluorescence Microscope
• Product Type: DiOC6(3)
• Quantity: 100 mg
• Shipping Condition: Room Temperature
• Sub Cellular Localization: Cell Membranes & Lipids

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I stained my cells with a lipophilic cyanine dye, like DiI, but the signal was lost when I tried to follow up with antibody labeling. Why?

Since these dyes insert into lipid membranes, any disruption of the membranes leads to loss of the dye. This includes permeabilization with detergents like Triton X-100 or organic solvents like methanol. Permeabilization is necessary for intracellular antibody labeling, leading to loss of the dye. Instead, a reactive dye such as CFDA SE should be used to allow for covalent attachment to cellular components, thus providing for better retention upon fixation and permeabilization.

How long does it take for lipophlic tracers to transport along the membrane? How much faster are the FAST lipophilic dyes?

The transport is fairly slow, around 6 mm/day in live tissue and slower in fixed tissue, so diffusion of lipophilic carbocyanine tracers from the point of their application to the terminus of a neuron can take several days to weeks The FAST DiO and DiI analogs (which have unsaturated alkyl tails) can improve transport rate by around 50%.

Which form of the lipophilic tracers (DiO, DiI, DiD, etc) should I use?

Select the dye that is compatible with your available excitation source(s) and emission filter set/channels. The solid, paste and crystal forms can be applied directly to neurons in tissues. For labeling cells in culture or microinjection, the lipophilic dyes in solution or solid form can be used.

I want to label two cell populations and then perform a cell fusion assay. Which reagents are best for imaging this?

Lipophilic cyanine dyes are preferred for this sort of assay, since they insert into cellular membranes and then, upon fusion, are shared by the fused cells as the membranes are shared. For example, one cell population can be labeled with DiI (orange-red) and another cell population can be labeled with DiO (green), and when the cells fuse, the combined color appears yellow (when imaged with a dual-bandpass filter set).

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.