Blue fluorescent caspase-3/7 substrate for detecting apoptosis in intact cells by confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, or live cell imaging.

NucView® 405 Caspase-3 Substrate is a convenient tool for detecting apoptosis in intact cells based on caspase-3/7 activity using confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, or live cell imaging.

• NucView® 405 dye has excitation/emission at 429/469 nm (with DNA)
• Rapid, no-wash, endpoint or real-time assays
• Non-toxic, allowing multi-day experiments to be performed
• For flow cytometry, microscopy or live cell imaging systems
• Dual detection of caspase activity and nuclear morphology
• Formaldehyde fixable

NucView® substrates consist of a fluorogenic DNA dye coupled to the caspase-3/7 DEVD recognition sequence. The substrate, which is initially non-fluorescent, penetrates the plasma membrane and enters the cytoplasm. In apoptotic cells, caspase-3/7 cleaves the substrate, releasing the high-affinity DNA dye, which migrates to the cell nucleus and stains DNA with fluorescence. Thus, NucView caspase-3 substrates are bifunctional, allowing detection of caspase-3/7 activity and visualization of morphological changes in the nucleus during apoptosis. In contrast to other fluorogenic caspase substrates or fluorescent caspase inhibitor based (FLICA) assays, NucView® caspase-3 substrates can be used to detect caspase-3/7 activity within individual intact cells without inhibiting apoptosis progression. Staining is compatible with subsequent fixation and permeabilization for immunostaining.

NucView® 405  dye has excitation/emission at 429/469 nm (with DNA). It is excited by the 405 nm laser line for detection by confocal microscopy in the DAPI channel, or by flow cytometry in the Pacific Blue® channel. NucView® 405 is ideal for caspase-3 detection in multi-color applications for researchers who wish to reserve the green fluorescence channel for other detection reagents.

Note: NucView® 405 signal may be difficult to observe using epifluorescence microscopy. Confocal microscopy using 405 nm laser excitation is recommended for imaging.

NucView® 405 is also available at 1 mM in PBS (catalog no. 10407), for use in DMSO-sensitive cells.

We also offer green NucView® 488 caspase-3 substrate and kits as well as orange fluorescent NucView® 530.