Description
Key facts
Sample types:Tissue, Suspension cells, Adherent cells,
Assay type:Cell-based (qualitative),
Assay Platform:Fluorescence microscope
Product details:
F-actin Staining Kit - Blue Fluorescence | Cytopainter (ab112124) fluorescence imaging kits are a set of fluorescence imaging tools for labeling sub-cellular organelles such as lysosomes, mitochondria, and actin filaments. The selective staining of cell compartments provides a powerful method for studying cellular events in a spatial and temporal context.
ab112124 is designed to stain F-actins in fixed cells with blue fluorescence. The kit uses a blue fluorescent phalloidin conjugate that is selectively bound to F-actins. The phalloidin conjugate has Ex/Em = 350/450 nm, compatible with DAPI filter set that comes with most of fluorescence microscopes. It is a high-affinity probe for labeling, identifying and quantitating F-actins in formaldehyde-fixed and permeabilized tissue sections, cell cultures or cell-free experiments. ab112124 provides all the essential components with an optimized labeling protocol.
Store ab112124 desiccated.
Properties and Storage Information:
Shipped at conditions-Blue Ice, Appropriate short-term storage conditions--20°C, Appropriate long-term storage conditions--20°C, Storage information--20°C
Supplementary Information:
This supplementary information is collated from multiple sources and compiled automatically.
F-actin also known as filamentous actin is an essential structural protein found within the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells. Its alternate names include actin filaments or microfilaments. The protein consists of polymerized monomers of G-actin each with a molecular weight of roughly 42 kDa. F-actin is expressed abundantly in muscle cells and non-muscle cells alike providing structural support and facilitating cellular movements. Actin staining is a common method used in labs to visualize these dynamic structures often employing phalloidin staining a toxin that stabilizes actin filaments conjugated with fluorescent labels such as Phalloidin 594 Phalloidin 647 or Phalloidin 488 for imaging purposes.
Biological function summary
The actin cytoskeleton plays integral roles in maintaining cell shape providing mechanical resistance against deformation and driving important cellular processes such as endocytosis cell division and motility. F-actin forms part of numerous protein complexes interacting with other proteins like myosin to facilitate muscle contraction and cellular transport. Within cells F-actin is dynamic readily polymerizing and depolymerizing in response to cellular signaling making it essential for cytoskeletal remodeling and cellular adaptability.
Pathways
F-actin is central to various signaling cascades underlying processes like cell signaling and intracellular transport. Notably it participates in the Rho family GTPase pathway affecting cell cytoskeleton organization and motility. It also interacts with proteins like cofilin and profilin which regulate actin polymerization and treadmilling dynamics respectively. These interactions highlight F-actin's involvement in complex cellular pathway regulation processes essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and adaptability.
Abnormal regulation or mutations in actin-related proteins can lead to conditions such as cancer and cardiomyopathies. For example during metastasis cancer cells exploit the dynamic nature of F-actin for enhanced migratory capacity. In cardiac muscle cells actin interacts with other proteins like tropomyosin and mutations in these genes can disrupt normal heart function leading to cardiomyopathies. As such F-actin not only represents a critical component of the cellular structure but also serves as a pivotal target for understanding disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic intervention points.
