Ibidi, a supplier of bio-microscopy solutions, has released LifeAct, a probe for the visualisation of Actin cytoskeleton organisation and dynamics in angiogenesis, oncology and neurology studies.
In the past, Actin markers visualised Actin but also disturbed the activity of the protein.
In contrast, the LifeAct Actin marker binds to the structure protein without constraining its activity.
Only 17 amino acids long, LifeAct is linked to a fluorescent dye, which allows the tracking of development and movement of Actin structures.
Originating from yeast, the marker has also been successfully utilised in kidney cells, white blood cells, neurons and a multitude of further cell types of tissues.
LifeAct is available as a plasmid coding for the peptide and a red or green fluorescent protein.
The plasmid is used for easy transfection of various cell types and for the generation of stably expressing cell lines.
Ibidi said the technology will be especially useful for studies on angiogenesis but also in oncology, neurology and immunology.
