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iFluor® 488 tyramide

For many immunohistochemical (IHC) applications, traditional enzymatic amplification procedures are sufficient for achieving adequate antigen detection. However, several factors limit their sensitivity and utility. Tyramide signal amplification (TSA) has proven to be a particularly versatile and powerful enzyme amplification technique with improved assay sensitivity. TSA is based on the ability of HRP, in the presence of low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, to convert labeled tyramine-containing substrate into an oxidized, highly reactive free radical that can covalently bind to tyrosine residues at or near the HRP. To achieve maximal IHC detection, tyramine is prelabeled with a fluorophore. The signal amplification conferred by the turnover of multiple tyramide substrates per peroxidase label results in the ability to detect low-abundance targets with ultrasensitive precision and reduces the amount of antibodies and hybridization probes needed. In IHC applications, this method can also enhance sensitivity in cases where the primary antibody dilution needs to be increased to reduce nonspecific background signals or overcome weak immunolabeling due to suboptimal fixation procedures or low levels of target expression. The iFluor® 488 tyramide contains the bright iFluor® 488 that can be readily detected with the standard FITC filter set. iFluor® dyes have higher florescence intensity, increased photostability, and enhanced water solubility, resulting in fluorescence signals with significantly higher precision and sensitivity. iFluor® 488 is an excellent replacement for Alexa Fluor® 488 tyramide (Alexa Fluor® is the trademark of ThermoFisher), FITC tyramide, or other comparable fluorescent tyramide conjugates.

Example protocol

AT A GLANCE

Protocol Summary
  1. Fix/permeabilize/block cells or tissue
  2. Add primary antibody in blocking buffer
  3. Add HRP-conjugated secondary antibody
  4. Prepare tyramide working solution and apply in cells or tissue for 5-10 minutes at room temperature

PREPARATION OF STOCK SOLUTIONS

Unless otherwise noted, all unused stock solutions should be divided into single-use aliquots and stored at -20 °C after preparation. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles

Tyramide stock solution (200X)

Add 100 µL of DMSO to the vial of iFluor® tyramide and mix well.

Note: Make single-use aliquots and store unused 200X stock solution at 2-8 °C, protected from light. Avoid repeat freeze-thaw cycles. 

PREPARATION OF WORKING SOLUTION

Tyramide working solution (1X)

Add 100 µL of the tyramide stock solution into 20 mL of a buffer of your choice containing 0.003% H2O2.

Note: For optimal performance, use Tris Buffer, pH=7.4.

Note: A 20 mL solution is good for 200 tests. The tyramide working solution should be used immediately and made fresh on the day of use. Avoid direct exposure to light.

Secondary antibody-HRP working solution

Make an appropriate concentration of secondary antibody-HRP working solution per the manufacturer's recommendations. 

SAMPLE EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL

This protocol is applicable for both cells and tissues staining.

Cell fixation and permeabilization
  1. Fix the cells or tissue with 3.7% formaldehyde or paraformaldehyde, in PBS at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  2. Rinse the cells or tissue with PBS twice.
  3. Permeabilize the cells with 0.1% Triton X-100 solution for 1-5 minutes at room temperature.
  4. Rinse the cells or tissue with PBS twice.
Tissue fixation, deparaffinization and rehydration

Deparaffinize and dehydrate the tissue according to the standard IHC protocols. Perform antigen retrieval with the preferred specific solution/protocol as needed. A protocol can be found at:

https://www.aatbio.com/resources/guides/paraffin-embedded-tissue-immunohistochemistry-protocol.html

Peroxidase labeling
  1. Optional: Quench endogenous peroxidase activity by incubating cell or tissue sample in peroxidase quenching solution (such as 3% hydrogen peroxide) for 10 minutes. Rinse with PBS twice at room temperature.

  2. Optional: If using HRP-conjugated streptavidin, it is advisable to block endogenous biotins by biotin blocking buffer.

  3. Block with preferred blocking solution (such as PBS with 1% BSA) for 30 minutes at 4 °C.
  4. Remove blocking solution and add primary antibody diluted in recommended antibody diluent for 60 minutes at room temperature or overnight at 4 °C.
  5. Wash with PBS three times for 5 minutes each.
  6. Apply 100 µL of secondary antibody-HRP working solution to each sample and incubate for 60 minutes at room temperature.

    Note: Incubation time and concentration can be varied depending on the signal intensity.

  7. Wash with PBS three times for 5 minutes each.
Tyramide labeling
  1. Prepare and apply 100 µL of Tyramide working solution to each sample and incubate for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.

    Note: If you observe a non-specific signal, you can shorten the incubation time with the tyramide reagent. You should optimize the incubation period using positive and negative control samples at various incubation time points. Or you can use a lower concentration of the tyramide reagent in the working solution.

  2. Rinse with PBS three times.
Counterstain and fluorescence imaging
  1. Counterstain the cell or tissue samples as needed. AAT provides a series of nucleus counterstain reagents as listed in Table 1. Follow the instruction provided with the reagents.
  2. Mount the coverslip using a mounting medium with anti-fading properties.

    Note: To ensure optimal results, it is recommended to use either ReadiUse™ microscope mounting solution (Cat. 20009) or FluoroQuest™ TSA/PSA Antifade Mounting Medium *Optimized for Tyramide and Styramide Imaging* (Cat. 44890) instead of Vectashield® mounting media. There are instances where Vectashield® mounting media may not be suitable for certain TSA/PSA conjugates.

  3. Use the appropriate filter set to visualize the signal from the Tyramide labeling.

Table 1. Products recommended for nucleus counterstain

Cat#Product NameEx/Em (nm)
17548Nuclear Blue™ DCS1350/461
17550Nuclear Green™ DCS1503/526
17551Nuclear Orange™ DCS1528/576
17552Nuclear Red™ DCS1642/660

Calculators

Common stock solution preparation

Table 1. Volume of DMSO needed to reconstitute specific mass of iFluor® 488 tyramide to given concentration. Note that volume is only for preparing stock solution. Refer to sample experimental protocol for appropriate experimental/physiological buffers.

0.1 mg0.5 mg1 mg5 mg10 mg
1 mM188.157 µL940.787 µL1.882 mL9.408 mL18.816 mL
5 mM37.631 µL188.157 µL376.315 µL1.882 mL3.763 mL
10 mM18.816 µL94.079 µL188.157 µL940.787 µL1.882 mL

Molarity calculator

Enter any two values (mass, volume, concentration) to calculate the third.

Mass (Calculate)Molecular weightVolume (Calculate)Concentration (Calculate)Moles
/=x=

Spectrum

Product family

NameExcitation (nm)Emission (nm)Extinction coefficient (cm -1 M -1)Quantum yieldCorrection Factor (260 nm)Correction Factor (280 nm)
iFluor®488-dUTP *1 mM in TE Buffer (pH 7.5)*4915167500010.910.210.11
iFluor® 488 Styramide *Superior Replacement for Alexa Fluor 488 tyramide and Opal 520*4915167500010.910.210.11
iFluor® 555 Tyramide55757010000010.6410.230.14
iFluor® 647 Tyramide65667025000010.2510.030.03

Citations

View all 27 citations: Citation Explorer
Anti-TGF-$\beta$/PD-L1 bispecific antibody synergizes with radiotherapy to enhance antitumor immunity and mitigate radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Wu, Yuze and Yan, Yuheng and Guo, Yarong and Niu, Mengke and Zhou, Binghan and Zhang, Jing and Zhou, Pengfei and Chu, Qian and Mei, Qi and Yi, Ming and others,
Journal: Journal of Hematology \& Oncology (2025): 1--20
Contribution of brain pericytes to neuroinflammation following repetitive head trauma
Authors: Cembran, Arianna and Eisenbaum, Maxwell and Paris, Daniel and Mullan, Michael and Crawford, Fiona and Ferguson, Scott and Bachmeier, Corbin
Journal: Journal of Inflammation (2025): 1--16
A novel vimentin variant from tumor-associated macrophages directs cancer metastasis by engaging IGF-1R
Authors: Jiu, Yaming and Miao, Chenglin
Journal: bioRxiv (2025): 2025--02
CCN2 mediates fibroblast-macrophage interaction in knee arthrofibrosis based on single-cell RNA-seq analysis
Authors: Li, Ziyun and Jiang, Jia and Cai, Kangwen and Qiao, Yi and Zhang, Xuancheng and Wang, Liren and Kang, Yuhao and Wu, Xiulin and Zhao, Benpeng and Wang, Xiuli and others,
Journal: Bone Research (2025): 26
Vibrational Markers of a Model Circulating Metastatic Cells LLC-R9
Authors: Gnatyuk, Olena and Kolesnyk, Denys and Voitsitskyi, Taras and Karakhim, Sergiy and Nikolenko, Andriy and Dementjev, Andrej and Solyanik, Galina and Dovbeshko, Galyna
Journal: Spectroscopy Journal (2024): 306--321

References

View all 74 references: Citation Explorer
Tyramide Signal Amplification for Immunofluorescent Enhancement
Authors: Faget L, Hnasko TS.
Journal: Methods Mol Biol (2015): 161
Enhanced detection of Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in fixed tissues by in situ hybridization following tyramide signal amplification
Authors: Trang NT, Hirai T, Ngan PH, Lan NT, Fuke N, Toyama K, Yamamoto T, Yamaguchi R.
Journal: J Vet Diagn Invest (2015): 326
Rapid and sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk and ground beef using magnetic bead-based immunoassay coupled with tyramide signal amplification
Authors: Aydin M, Herzig GP, Jeong KC, Dunigan S, Shah P, Ahn S.
Journal: J Food Prot (2014): 100
Multiplexed immunohistochemistry, imaging, and quantitation: a review, with an assessment of Tyramide signal amplification, multispectral imaging and multiplex analysis
Authors: Stack EC, Wang C, Roman KA, Hoyt CC.
Journal: Methods (2014): 46
KSHV cell attachment sites revealed by ultra sensitive tyramide signal amplification (TSA) localize to membrane microdomains that are up-regulated on mitotic cells
Authors: Garrigues HJ, Rubinchikova YE, Rose TM.
Journal: Virology (2014): 75
Page updated on March 11, 2025

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Catalog Number45100
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Physical properties

Molecular weight

531.47

Solvent

DMSO

Spectral properties

Correction Factor (260 nm)

0.21

Correction Factor (280 nm)

0.11

Extinction coefficient (cm -1 M -1)

750001

Excitation (nm)

491

Emission (nm)

516

Quantum yield

0.91

Storage, safety and handling

H-phraseH303, H313, H333
Hazard symbolXN
Intended useResearch Use Only (RUO)
R-phraseR20, R21, R22

Storage

Freeze (< -15 °C); Minimize light exposure
UNSPSC12352200

Platform

Fluorescence microscope

ExcitationFITC filter set
EmissionFITC filter set
Recommended plateBlack wall, clear bottom
Immunofluorescent image of paraffin-embedded human lung carcinoma labeled with &nbsp;EpCAM Rabbit mAb followed with HRP-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG (H+L) (Cat#16793) . The signal was developed with iFluor® 488 tyramide or Alexa Fluor&trade; 488 Tyramide Reagent (Green). Cells were also counterstained with DAPI (Blue).
Immunofluorescent image of paraffin-embedded human lung carcinoma labeled with &nbsp;EpCAM Rabbit mAb followed with HRP-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG (H+L) (Cat#16793) . The signal was developed with iFluor® 488 tyramide or Alexa Fluor&trade; 488 Tyramide Reagent (Green). Cells were also counterstained with DAPI (Blue).
Immunofluorescent image of paraffin-embedded human lung carcinoma labeled with &nbsp;EpCAM Rabbit mAb followed with HRP-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG (H+L) (Cat#16793) . The signal was developed with iFluor® 488 tyramide or Alexa Fluor&trade; 488 Tyramide Reagent (Green). Cells were also counterstained with DAPI (Blue).
Immunofluorescent image of paraffin-embedded human lung carcinoma labeled with Pan-Keratin Mouse mAb followed with HRP-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG (H+L) (Cat#16728). The signal was developed with iFluor® 488 tyramide (Green). Cells were also counterstained with DAPI (Blue).
<strong>Superior sensitivity with iFluor® 488 tyramide.</strong> HeLa cells were incubated with primary anti-tubulin antibodies followed by detection with HRP-Goat anti-Mouse&nbsp;IgG and<strong><em>&nbsp;</em></strong>iFluor® 488 tyramide (Left) or Alexa Fluor&reg; 488 tyramide (Right). Fluorescence images were taken on a Keyence BZ-X710 fluorescence microscope equipped with a FITC filter set.
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human lung adenocarcinoma tissue was incubated with an anti-EpCAM primary antibody, and an HRP conjugated anti-mouse secondary antibody. TSA signal was developed by incubation of tissue section with 5 µg/mL of iFluor® 488 tyramide (Cat No. 45100) for 10 minutes. Images were acquired on a confocal microscope equipped with a GFP filter set.