5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine
Encyclopedia
5-Ethynyl-2´-deoxyuridine (EdU) is a novel thymidine
analogue, that is incorporated into dividing cells. At high doses it can be cytotoxic.
which forms a covalent bond using click chemistry
. Unlike the commonly used bromodeoxyuridine
, EdU detection requires no heat or acid treatment.
Thymidine
Thymidine is a chemical compound, more precisely a pyrimidine deoxynucleoside. Deoxythymidine is the DNA nucleoside T, which pairs with deoxyadenosine in double-stranded DNA...
analogue, that is incorporated into dividing cells. At high doses it can be cytotoxic.
Detection
EdU is detected with a fluorescent azideAzide
Azide is the anion with the formula N3−. It is the conjugate base of hydrazoic acid. N3− is a linear anion that is isoelectronic with CO2 and N2O. Per valence bond theory, azide can be described by several resonance structures, an important one being N−=N+=N−...
which forms a covalent bond using click chemistry
Click chemistry
Click chemistry is a chemical philosophy introduced by K. Barry Sharpless of The Scripps Research Institute, in 2001 and describes chemistry tailored to generate substances quickly and reliably by joining small units together...
. Unlike the commonly used bromodeoxyuridine
Bromodeoxyuridine
Bromodeoxyuridine is a synthetic nucleoside that is an analogue of thymidine. BrdU is commonly used in the detection of proliferating cells in living tissues....
, EdU detection requires no heat or acid treatment.