title: A two-color acid-free cartilage and bone stain for zebrafish larvae.
abstract: Traditionally, cartilage is stained by alcian blue using acidic conditions to differentiate tissue staining. The acidic conditions are problematic when one wishes to stain the same specimen for mineralized bone with alizarin red, because acid demineralizes bone, which negatively affects bone staining. We have developed an acid-free method to stain cartilage and bone simultaneously in zebrafish larvae. This method has the additional advantage that PCR genotyping of stained specimens is possible.
authors.affiliation: Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA. mwa@stowers-institute.org
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Kimmel
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015636:Magnesium Chloride; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D004396:Coloring Agents; D015636:Magnesium Chloride