Calcein-AM/PI Double Stain Kit Calcein-AM/PI

Description

Calcein-AM is a cell staining reagent that fluorescently labels live cells, emitting green fluorescence (Ex = 490 nm, Em = 515 nm). Calcein-AM, based on traditional calcein, incorporates an acetoxymethyl ester (AM) group, increasing its hydrophobicity and enabling it to easily penetrate live cell membranes. Once inside the cell, Calcein-AM (which itself is non-fluorescent) is cleaved by intracellular esterases to form the membrane-impermeable polar molecule calcein, which is retained within the cell and emits strong green fluorescence. Compared to similar reagents (such as BCECF-AM and CFDA), Calcein-AM exhibits minimal cytotoxicity, making it the most suitable fluorescent probe for live cell staining and does not inhibit any cellular functions, such as proliferation and lymphocyte chemotaxis. Because dead cells lack esterases, Calcein-AM is only used for viability testing and short-term labeling of live cells.