Fluorescence Digital Image Gallery

Transformed African Green Monkey Kidney Fibroblast Cells (COS-7)

Alexa Fluor dyes are commercially available as reactive intermediates in the form of maleimides, succinimidyl esters, and hydrazides, as well as prepared cytoskeletal probes (conjugated to phalloidin, G-actin, and rabbit skeletal muscle actin) and conjugates to lectin, dextrin, streptavidin, avidin, biocytin, and a wide variety of secondary antibodies. In the latter forms, the Alexa Fluor fluorophores provide a broad palette of tools for investigations in immunocytochemistry, neuroscience, and cellular biology. The family of probes has also been extended into a series of dyes having overlapping fluorescence emission maxima targeted at sophisticated confocal and fluorescence microscopy detection systems with spectral imaging and linear unmixing capabilities. For example, Alexa Fluor 488, Alexa Fluor 500, and Alexa Fluor 514 are visually similar in color with bright green fluorescence, but have spectrally distinct emission profiles. In addition, the three fluorochromes can be excited with the 488 or 514-nanometer spectral line from an argon-ion laser and are easily detected with traditional fluorescein filter combinations.

The culture of transformed African green monkey kidney (COS-7 line) cells presented in the digital image above was labeled with Alexa Fluor 488 conjugated to the lectin wheat germ agglutinin. Fluorescent wheat germ agglutinin conjugates are often used as probes for the Golgi network in mammalian cultures. The cells were also stained with Alexa Fluor 568 conjugated to phalloidin and DAPI, which target F-actin and DNA, respectively. Images were recorded in grayscale with a QImaging Retiga Fast-EXi camera system coupled to an Olympus BX-51 microscope equipped with bandpass emission fluorescence filter optical blocks provided by Omega Optical. During the processing stage, individual image channels were pseudocolored with RGB values corresponding to each of the fluorophore emission spectral profiles.

View a smaller image of the African green monkey kidney (COS-7) cells.

© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Last modification: Thursday, Oct 14, 2004 at 09:34 AM
Access Count Since July 16, 2004: 7643
Microscopes, fluorescence filters, and digital imaging equipment provided by:
Visit the Olympus Microscopy Resource Center website. Visit the Omega Optical website. Visit the QImaging website.