CellMask™ Actin Tracking Stain Variety Pack (Invitrogen™)

Stain and track intracellular filamentous actin (F-actin) with the CellMask Actin Tracking Stain Variety Pack in live or fixed cells in immunofluorescence (IF), immunocytochemistry (ICC), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) protocols, and in 3D cell culture. The CellMask Actin Tracking Stain Variety Pack contains one vial each of CellMask Green, Orange, and Deep Red Actin Tracking Stains, for fluorescent labeling of polymerized/F-actin in live or fixed cells. Because the stains are designed to readily permeate live cells, they produce bright and uniform labeling results. The CellMask Actin Tracking Stain Variety Pack can be used to track F-actin in live cells for 24 hours or more. Live cells stained with the kit’s tracking stains can be fixed; alternately, the stains can be used on already fixed cells. The Cell Mask Actin Tracking Stain Variety Pack can be multiplexed with antibodies in IF, ICC, and IHC protocols, and can also be used in 3D cell culture for 3D imaging.

Features of Cell Mask actin tracking stains include:
• Stain F-actin in live or fixed cells for fluorescence 2D monolayer or 3D imaging experiments
• Can be multiplexed with antibodies in IF/ICC/IHC experiments

CellMask actin tracking stains are also available individually in three colors: green (Cat. No. A57243, A57246) detected with a FITC/GFP filter (Ex 503 nm/Em 512 nm), orange (Cat. No. A57244, A57247), detected with a TRITC/RFP filter (Ex 545 nm/Em 570 nm), and deep red (Cat. No. A57245, A57248) detected with a CY5/Deep Red filter (Ex 652 nm/Em 669 nm).

CellMask actin tracking stains detect F-actin with a targeting structure that closely resembles jasplakinolide. They do not label globular actin (G-actin) or monomer actin (M-actin). CellMask actin tracking stains easily permeate live cell membranes and are retained within live cells after loading. As demonstrated in the figures below, incubation of cells with CellMask actin tracking stains has no detectable effect on the viability of various cell lines after 24 hours of incubation.

CellMask actin tracking stains detect F-actin in live cells or tissue, which can then be fixed. In addition, CellMask actin tracking stains can be used to detect F-Actin in paraformaldehyde fixed cells or tissue (freshly fixed or cryo frozen only) and can be multiplexed with antibody detection.