Assay Kits

Introduction

PICECLE Red Fluorometric Cell Cycle Assay Kit is a ready-to-use reagent designed to detect cell cycle by measuring DNA content. Cell cycle refers to the whole process from the end of one mitosis to the end of the next. During this process, the genetic material is replicated and doubled, and evenly distributed to two daughter cells at the end of division. As shown in Fig. 1., the cell cycle is typically divided into five phases: G0, the resting phase, G1, the normal growth phase, S, the DNA replication phase, G2, involving growth and preparation for mitosis, and M, mitosis. The cell cycle events regulate cell proliferation and cancer involves inappropriate cell proliferation. Thus, cell cycle and alterations to the mechanisms of cell cycle control are the keys of oncology research.

DNA can bind to some specific fluorescent dyes, such as, propidium Iodide (PI). The quantity of binded PI molecules is different at different cell cycle stages, and results in different fluorescence intensity. The flow cytometry can dectect the fluorescent difference to monitor the different phases in cell cycle. As shown in Fig. 2., after staining with PI, assuming that the fluorescence intensity of G0/G1 phase cells is 1, the theoretical value of fluorescence intensity of G2/M phase cells containing double genomic DNA is 2, and the fluorescence intensity of S phase cells undergoing DNA replication is between 1 and 2. Apoptotic cells lost part of genomic DNA due to the fragmentation of DNA. Therefore, apoptotic cells showed obvious weak staining and the fluorescence intensity was less than 1.