Immunofluorescence microscopy fluorescein isothiocyanate

The pioneering immunofluorescence studies of Albert Coons and colleagues in the 1940s and 1950s (reviewed in ref. 11) established the effectiveness of fluorescein for immunofluorescence microscopy. The green emission of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was shown to provide a strong signal, well separated from blue cellular autofluorescence. Continued wide use of fluorescein attests to its utility. 

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and dansyl-chloride were among the first extrinsic fluorescent labels for proteins used for immunofluorescence microscopy and polarization measurements. Fluorescein and rho-damine labels were extensively employed due to their bright emission in the visible range. These probes have drawbacks including hydrophobicity, small Stokes shifts, and sensitivity to pH and photobleaching, which led to the development of new dyes such as Alexa, Bodipy, and cyanine dye families (see Table 1). These dyes cover a broad... 

Immunofluorescence staining permits detection of protein antigens in situ, in order to investigate the subcellular localization or cellular distribution within a tissue. The cells or tissue sections are fixed and incubated with the specific primary monoclonal antibody. The antigen-primaiy monoclonal antibody complex is bound by a second antibody conjugated to a fluorescent dye, such as rhodamine-p-isothiocyanate or fluorescein isothiocyanate, for detection by fluorescence microscopy. Immunofluorescence staining is described in more detail in Chapter 16. 

---