Cell Membrane Staining Kit (DiD)

DiD, also called DiDC₁₈(5), is a red fluorescent probe that is widely used as a lipophilic tracker in living and fixed tissues and cells. DiD can insert into the membrane, and diffuse rapidly, staining the entire membrane surface red. DiD usually does not affect cell viability and development, so it is commonly used in cell tracking, such as anterograde and retrograde neuronal tracking. DiD is excited by the 633 nm He-Ne laser, and has longer excitation and emission wavelengths than DiI, providing an alternative for labeling cells and tissues that have significant intrinsic fluorescence.

DiD staining can be used in conjunction with immunofluorescence. It is recommended to use formaldehyde (PFA) for fixation after DiD staining. Meanwhile, if permeabilization is required, it is suggested to use Triton X-100 or digitonin. But permeabilization may affect the localization of DiD in the cell membrane. In addition, DiD has many other applications including detecting cell-cell fusion and adhesion, tracking cell migration, and labeling lipoproteins.   

This kit is an optimized DiD staining kit that not only provides ready-to-use DiD dye, but also provides a Staining Enhancer for better staining results and lower staining background. For 96-well plates, the kit can be used 1000 times using 100 μL of staining solution per well.