Cell Membrane Staining Kit (DiO)

DiO, also called DiOC₁₈(3), is a green fluorescent probe that is widely used as a lipophilic tracker in living and fixed tissues and cells. DiO can insert into the membrane, and diffuse rapidly, staining the entire membrane surface green. DiO usually does not affect cell viability and development, so it is commonly used in cell tracking, such as anterograde and retrograde neuronal tracking. DiO staining is usually less intense than DiI staining, and occasionally fails completely in fixed tissues.

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

This kit is an optimized DiO staining kit that not only provides ready-to-use DiO 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.