NUCLEAR-ID^® Green chromatin condensation detection kit

• Dye excitable with standard 488nm laser
• Intercalating dye with superior permeability with any live cell line
• Easy no-wash mix and read protocol
• Eliminates need for specialized 350nm UV laser required for Hoechst dyes and reduces chances for channel interference
• No interference from small molecule fluorescence or cell autofluorescence

The NUCLEAR-ID^® Green Chromatin Condensation Detection Kit detects nuclear condensation using a DNA intercalating dye that brightly stains the condensed chromatin of apoptotic cells, but only dimly stains the uncondensed chromatin of healthy living cells.

Mechanism of Action
The cell-permeable dye used in this application is an aromatic, planar cationic structure that inserts between stacked base pairs on the DNA duplex, providing an environmentally-dependent fluorescence enhancement of the dye molecules and large increases in fluorescence signal relative to the free dye in solution. Since the signal enhancement provides a proportional response, direct quantitation of DNA is possible. Further signal increase is observed upon DNA condensation during apoptosis. Considering the general mutagenic effect of nucleic acid-binding dyes, careful storage and handling of this dye is recommended.

A control apoptosis-inducing agent, staurosporine, is provided for monitoring apoptotic changes in nuclear organization. Potential applications for live-cell studies using the kit include monitoring the stages of chromatin condensation and rapid testing of compounds that induce apoptosis.

Apoptosis is recognized as a pathway of highly orchestrated signaling events, and of critical importance in biological processes and pathologies including development, aging and cancer. Nuclear condensation is one of the more prominent hallmarks of the many morphological features associated with apoptosis, including cell membrane blebbing, cell shrinkage, nucleosomal fragmentation, and formation of fragmented apoptotic bodies.