title: Utility of intensely fluorescent cyanine dyes (Cy3) for assay of gap junctional communication by dye-transfer.
abstract: Utilization of a class of fluorescent cyanine dyes (Cy3) for the assay of gap junctional communication by the dye transfer method was examined. When compared with Lucifer Yellow (LY), a commonly used tracer, microinjected Cy3 dye was found to yield similar degrees of cell coupling. Blockade of the transfer of both tracers by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (TPA), which is known to cause closure of communicating channels, confirmed gap junctional mediation of dye movement. The fixability of a microinjected amine derivative of Cy3 dye demonstrated its compatibility with immunostaining protocols involving fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated reagents. These results together with the brilliant fluorescence of Cy3 dyes suggest the potential of Cy3 reagents as additional tools to study gap junction function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002232:Carbocyanines; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000494:pharmacology; D005453:Fluorescence; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry
chemical_list: D002232:Carbocyanines; C089187:cyanine dye 3; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate