This research will prepare and develop a novel fluorophore for application to flow cytometry. This new fluorophore, called Ultralite 680, is based on aluminum phthalocyanine. Ultralite 680 may be excited with either ultraviolet or red sources, such as inexpensive helium neon or diode lasers, and emits in the red with a quantum yield of 0.6 at greater than 680 nm. Ultralite 680 may be covalently attached to proteins for use as either an indirect or direct immunophenotyping reagent. With the use of biotinylated antibodies and Ultralite 680 covalently attached to streptavidin, a lymphocyte subset analysis has been performed.
Anticipated Results:Cost benefits and the enhanced stability associated with red excitation sources have prompted flow cytometer manufacturers to introduce instruments equipped with a helium neon (633 nm) rather than argon ion (488 nm) laser. Currently, there is only one fluorescent probe (allophycocyanine) available for use with these new systems. Thus, there is a need for new red-excitable probes. Ultralite 680 fills that need.National Cancer Institute
