Fluorochrome cyanine

Lin Y, Weissleder R, Tung CH (2002) Novel near-infrared cyanine fluorochromes synthesis, properties, and bioconjugation. Bioconjugate Chem 13 605-610... 

Albert H. Coons was the first to attach a fluorescent dye (fluorescein isocyanate) to an antibody and to use this antibody to localize its respective antigen in a tissue section. Fluorescein, one of the most popular fluorochromes ever designed, has enjoyed extensive application in immunofluorescence labeling. For many years, classical fluorescent probes such as FITC or Texas red (TR) have been successfully utilized in fluorescence microscopy. In recent decades, brighter and more stable fluorochromes have continually been developed (see Table 14.1). Marketed by a number of distributors, cyanine dyes, Cy2, Cy3, Cy5, Cy7, feature enhanced water solubility and photostability as well as a higher fluorescence emission intensity as compared to many of the traditional dyes, such as FITC or TR. 

Recently, cyanine fluorochromes covering a wide spectral range have become available for immunofluorescence (13,14). The red-emitting fluoro-chrome Cyanine 3.18, which was shown to give a significantly brighter image than TRITC, lissamine rhodamine, Texas Red, or fluorescein under specific conditions of microscopy (7), provides a useful alternative to the rhodamines. Other useful substitutes for the rhodamines include the BODIPY TR and TMR, and Alexa 568 and 594 fluorochromes. The latter are newly introduced and appear to offer superior photostability. 

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