Cal-520™ Calcium Indicators
Cal-520™ provides the most robust homogeneous fluorescence-based assay tool for detecting intracellular calcium mobilization. Cal-520™ AM is a new fluorogenic calcium-sensitive dye with a significantly improved signal to background ratio and intracellular retention compared to the existing green calcium indicators (such as Fluo-3 AM and Fluo-4 AM). The higher signal/background ratio and better intracellular retention make the Cal-520™ calcium assay a robust tool for evaluating GPCR and calcium channel targets as well as for screening their agonists and antagonists. Our preliminary in-house research indicated that Cal-520™ AM can be readily loaded to a guinea pig heart and stays there for a few hours in the absence of probenecid. The calcium signal can be readily monitored with Cal-520™ AM while it is difficult to observe the calcium signal under the same conditions with other green calcium dyes, such as Fluo-3 AM and Fluo-4 AM.
Key Features of Cal-520™ AM:
- Better Intracellular Retention, Cal-520™ AM is better retained in live cells than Fluo-3 AM and Fluo-4 AM.
- Higher Sensitivity, Cal-520™ AM has much higher signal/background ratio than Fluo-3 AM and Fluo-4 AM in cells.
- Convenient, Cal-520™ AM has almost identical spectra to those of Fluo-4 AM.
Left: ATP-stimulated calcium responses of endogenous P2Y receptor in CHO-K1 cells incubated with Cal-520™ AM (red curve, Cat# 21131), or Fluo-4 AM (blue curve) respectively with probenecid under the same conditions. CHO-K1 cells were seeded overnight at 50,000 cells/100 µL/well in a Costar 96-well black wall/clear bottom plate. 100 µL of 5 µM Fluo-4 AM or Cal-520™ AM in HHBS with 2.5 mm probenecid was added into the cells, and the cells were incubated at 37 °C for 2 hours. ATP (50 µL/well) was added using FlexSation® to achieve the final indicated concentrations. Right: ATP-stimulated calcium responses of endogenous P2Y receptors in CHO-K1 cells incubated with Cal-520™ AM (red curve, Cat# 21131), or Fluo-4 AM (blue curve) respectively, without probenecid under the same conditions. CHO-K1 cells were seeded overnight at 50,000 cells/100 µL/well in a Costar 96-well black wall/clear bottom plate. 100 µL of 5 µM Fluo-4 AM or Cal-520™ AM in HHBS was added into the cells, and the cells were incubated at 37 °C for 2 hours. ATP (50 µL/well) was added using FlexSation® to achieve the final indicated concentrations.
Table 1. Spectral Comparison of Fluo-3, Fluo-4, Fluo-8® and Cal-520
Dye ▲ ▼ | Ex (nm) ▲ ▼ | Em (nm) ▲ ▼ | QY* ▲ ▼ | Kd (nM) ▲ ▼ |
Cal-520™ | 492 | 514 | 0.75 | 320 |
Fluo-3 | 506 | 525 | 0.15 | 390 |
Fluo-4 | 493 | 515 | 0.16 | 345 |
Fluo-8® | 490 | 514 | 0.16 | 389 |
- *QY = Fluorescence Quantum Yield in the presence of 5 mM calcium citrate.
Table 2. Fluorescent Cal Calcium Indicators
Cat No. ▲ ▼ | Product Name ▲ ▼ | Ex (nm) ▲ ▼ | Em (nm) ▲ ▼ | Kd ▲ ▼ | Unit Size ▲ ▼ |
21131 | Cal-520®, AM | 492 | 514 | 320 nM | 1 mg |
21141 | Cal-520®, potassium salt | 492 | 514 | 320 nM | 1 mg |
21136 | Cal-520®, sodium salt | 492 | 514 | 320 nM | 1 mg |
21142 | Cal-520FF™, AM | 492 | 514 | 9.8 µM | 1 mg |
21144 | Cal-520FF™, potassium salt | 492 | 514 | 10x50 ug | 9.8 µM |
20501 | Cal Green™ 1, AM [Equivalent to Calcium Green-1, AM] | 506 | 531 | 10x50 ug | 190 nM |
20500 | Cal Green™ 1, hexapotassium salt | 506 | 531 | 10x50 ug | 190 nM |