DAPI Reagent (1 µg/mL)

DAPI (4 ', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole), is a kind of fluorescent dye which can strongly combine with DNA. It can be observed by fluorescence microscope. DAPI can penetrate the normal cell membrane, it can be used for staining of living cells or fixed cells. CAS number: 28718-90-3. DAPI can penetrate the cell membrane and combine with the double stranded DNA in the nucleus and produces more than 20 times stronger fluorescence than DAPI itself. It has stronger sensitivity to double stranded DNA staining than EB. Cells can be seen with blue fluorescence when DNA combine with DPAI by microscope. And the efficiency of cell labeling is high (almost 100%) without any effect on living cells. DAPI staining is often used to detect apoptosis. After staining, it is observed by fluorescence microscope or flow cytometry. DAPI is also commonly used in general nuclear staining and in some specific cases double stranded DNA staining. After heat shock treatment, the cells staining with DAPI for 3 min, and the morphological changes of nuclei could be seen by fluorescence microscope. The maximum excitation wavelength of DAPI is 340 nm, and the maximum emission wavelength is 488 nm. When DAPI combines with dsDNA, the maximum excitation wavelength is 360 nm, and the maximum emission wavelength is 460 nm. The DAPI staining solution can be directly used for nuclear staining of fixed cells or tissues.