Alexa Fluor: Difference between revisions

Alexa Fluor dyes are [[chemical synthesis|synthesized]] through [[sulfonate|sulfonation]] of [[coumarin]], [[rhodamine]], [[xanthene]] (such as [[fluorescein]]), and [[cyanine]] dyes. Sulfonation makes Alexa Fluor dyes negatively [[electric charge|charged]] and [[hydrophilic]]. Alexa Fluor dyes are generally more stable, brighter, and less [[pH]]-sensitive than common dyes (e.g. fluorescein, rhodamine) of comparable excitation and emission,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Panchuk-Voloshina N, Haugland RP, Bishop-Stewart J, ''et al'' |title=Alexa dyes, a series of new fluorescent dyes that yield exceptionally bright, photostable conjugates |journal=J. Histochem. Cytochem. |volume=47 |issue=9 |pages=1179-88 |year=1999 |pmid=10449539 |url = http://www.jhc.org/cgi/content/full/47/9/1179}}</ref> and to some extent the newer cyanine series.<Ref>{{cite journal |author=Berlier JE, Rothe A, Buller G, ''et al'' |title=Quantitative comparison of long-wavelength Alexa Fluor dyes to Cy dyes: fluorescence of the dyes and their bioconjugates |journal=J. Histochem. Cytochem. |volume=51 |issue=12 |pages=1699-712 |year=2003 |pmid=14623938 |url = http://www.jhc.org/cgi/content/full/51/12/1699}}</ref> However, they are also tendmore toexpensive. be more expensiveThey are patented by Invitrogen (which acquired the company that developed the Alexa dyes, Molecular Probes) and thus are priced higher than the common dyes that are available from multiple manufacturers.