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AAT Bioquest

What are the applicable dyes for fluorescent staining of amyloids?

Posted July 11, 2024


Answer

The applicable dyes for fluorescent staining of amyloids include Thioflavin T and Thioflavin S. These dyes bind specifically to amyloid fibrils and emit fluorescence when exposed to certain wavelengths of light, allowing for the visualization of amyloid deposits in tissues.

Thioflavine T is predominantly used for this purpose. It is a basic cell-permeable benzothiazole dye with a yellow component. Thioflavine T has an excitation peak at 349 nm and an emission peak at 454 nm and exhibits enhanced fluorescence on binding to amyloid fibrils. 

Thioflavine S is an acid dye that increases its fluorescence intensity on binding to amyloid fibrils. On staining with Thioflavine S, amyloids fluoresce an apple green color under fluorescence microscope.

Additional resources

Molecular mechanism of Thioflavin-T binding to amyloid fibrils

Neurodegeneration & Amyloid Staining

Thioflavin S *CAS 1326-12-1*

Thioflavin T *CAS 2390-54-7*