Properties of classic nucleic acid stains—Table 8.4

Learn more in The Molecular Probes® Handbook

And visit these featured pages

Organelle Stains Selection Guide for Fluorescence Imaging

Table 8.4 Properties of classic nucleic acid stains.

Cat. No.	Dye	Ex/Em *	MW †	Fluorescence Emission Color	Applications ‡
A666	Acridine homodimer	431/498	685.69	Green	Impermeant AT-selective High-affinity DNA binding
A1301 A3568 §	Acridine orange	500/526 (DNA) 460/650 (RNA)	301.82 301.82	Green/Red	Permeant RNA/DNA discrimination measurements Lysosome labeling Flow cytometry Cell-cycle studies
A1310	7-AAD (7-amino-actinomycin D)	546/647	1270.45	Red	Weakly permeant GC-selective Flow cytometry Chromosome banding
A7592	Actinomycin D	442	1255.43	None	Chromosome banding
A1324	ACMA	419/483	258.71	Blue	AT-selective Alternative to quinacrine for chromosome Q banding Membrane phenomena
D1306 D3571 D21490	DAPI	358/461	350.25 457.49 350.25	Blue	Semi-permeant AT-selective Cell-cycle studies Mycoplasma detection Chromosome and nuclei counterstain Chromosome banding
D1168 D11347 D23107	Dihydroethidium	518/605	315.42 315.42 315.42	Red **	Permeant Blue fluorescent until oxidized to ethidium
15585-011	Ethidium bromide	518/605	394.31	Red	Impermeant dsDNA intercalator Dead-cell stain Chromosome counterstain Electrophoresis Flow cytometry Argon-ion laser excitable
E1169	Ethidium homodimer-1 (EthD-1)	528/617	856.77	Red	Impermeant High-affinity DNA labeling Dead-cell stain Electrophoresis prestain Argon-ion and green He-Ne laser excitable
E3599	Ethidium homodimer-2 (EthD-2)	535/624	1292.71	Red	Impermeant Very high-affinity DNA labeling Electrophoresis prestain
E1374	Ethidium monoazide	464/625 (unbound) ††	420.31	Red	Impermeant Photocrosslinkable Compatible with fixation procedures
H7593	Hexidium iodide	518/600	497.42	Red	Permeant, except gram-negative bacteria Stains nuclei and cytoplasm of eukaryotes and some bacteria
H1398 H3569 § H21491	Hoechst 33258 (bis-benzimide)	352/461	623.96 623.96 623.96	Blue	Permeant AT-selective Minor groove–binding dsDNA-selective binding Cell-cycle studies Chromosome and nuclear counterstain
H1399 H3570 § H21492	Hoechst 33342	350/461	615.99 615.99 615.99	Blue	Permeant AT-selective Minor groove–binding dsDNA-selective binding Cell-cycle studies Chromosome and nuclear counterstain
H21486	Hoechst 34580	392/498	560.96	Blue	Permeant AT-selective Minor groove–binding dsDNA-selective binding Cell-cycle studies Chromosome and nuclear counterstain
H22845	Hydroxystilbamidine	385/emission varies with nucleic acid	472.53	Varies	AT-selective Spectra dependent on secondary structure and sequence RNA/DNA discrimination Nuclear stain in tissue
L7595	LDS 751	543/712 (DNA) 590/607 (RNA)	471.98	Red/infrared	Permeant High Stokes shift Long-wavelength spectra Flow cytometry
N21485	Nuclear yellow	355/495	651.01	Yellow	Impermeant Nuclear counterstain
P1304MP P3566 § P21493	Propidium iodide (PI)	530/625	668.40 668.40 668.40	Red	Impermeant Dead-cell stain Chromosome and nuclear counterstain
* Excitation (Ex) and emission (Em) maxima in nm. All excitation and emission maxima were determined for dyes bound to double-stranded calf thymus DNA in aqueous solution, unless otherwise indicated. † Molecular weight (MW) for the anhydrous compound. ‡ Indication of dyes as "permeant" or "impermeant" are for the most common applications; permeability to cell membranes may vary considerably with the cell type, dye concentrations and other staining conditions. § Available in aqueous solution for those wishing to avoid potentially hazardous and mutagenic powders. ** After oxidation to ethidium. †† Prior to photolysis; after photolysis the spectra of the dye/DNA complexes are similar to those of ethidium bromide–DNA complexes.

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

Properties of Classic Nucleic Acid Stains—Table 8.4

Learn more in The Molecular Probes® Handbook

And visit these featured pages

Table 8.4 Properties of classic nucleic acid stains.