Fluo-4
Encyclopedia
Fluo-4 is used to measure calcium
(Ca2+) concentrations inside living cells, and is often used for high-throughput screening
of receptor ligands and calcium permeable ion channels.
The green-fluorescent calcium indicator, Fluo-4, is an improved version of the calcium indicator, Fluo-3. It is commonly used as the non-fluorescent acetoxymethyl ester (Fluo-4 AM) which is cleaved inside the cell to give the free, fluorescent Fluo-4. It loads faster, is brighter at equivalent concentrations and is well-excited by the 488 nm line of the argon-ion laser which is often used in biological research laboratories. The sole distributor and owner of the patents is Invitrogen
which acquired the original inventor Molecular Probes
.
Calcium in biology
Calcium plays a pivotal role in the physiology and biochemistry of organisms and the cell. It plays an important role in signal transduction pathways, where it acts as a second messenger, in neurotransmitter release from neurons, contraction of all muscle cell types, and fertilization...
(Ca2+) concentrations inside living cells, and is often used for high-throughput screening
High-throughput screening
High-throughput screening is a method for scientific experimentation especially used in drug discovery and relevant to the fields of biology and chemistry. Using robotics, data processing and control software, liquid handling devices, and sensitive detectors, High-Throughput Screening allows a...
of receptor ligands and calcium permeable ion channels.
The green-fluorescent calcium indicator, Fluo-4, is an improved version of the calcium indicator, Fluo-3. It is commonly used as the non-fluorescent acetoxymethyl ester (Fluo-4 AM) which is cleaved inside the cell to give the free, fluorescent Fluo-4. It loads faster, is brighter at equivalent concentrations and is well-excited by the 488 nm line of the argon-ion laser which is often used in biological research laboratories. The sole distributor and owner of the patents is Invitrogen
Invitrogen
Invitrogen Corporation was a large, multinational biotechnology company headquartered in Carlsbad, California. In November 2008, a merger between Applied Biosystems and Invitrogen was finalized...
which acquired the original inventor Molecular Probes
Molecular Probes
Molecular Probes is a biotechnology company located in Eugene, Oregon specializing in fluorescence. The company was founded in 1975 by Richard and Rosaria Haugland in their kitchen in Minnesota, then moved briefly to Texas and finally to Oregon in the early 1980s. In 1989, Molecular Probes moved...
.