RNA isolation / purification Cells Cancer cell lines

Get tips on using Quant-iT™ RiboGreen™ RNA Assay Kit to perform RNA quantification Fuorimetric - mouse liver tissue

Get tips on using RediPlate™ 96 RiboGreen™ RNA Quantitation Kit to perform RNA quantification Fuorimetric - mouse adipose tissue

Get tips on using RediPlate™ 96 RiboGreen™ RNA Quantitation Kit to perform RNA quantification Fuorimetric - human brain tissue

Get tips on using T-PER™ Tissue Protein Extraction Reagent to perform Protein isolation Mammalian cells - Mouse Epididymal fat

Get tips on using M-PER™ Mammalian Protein Extraction Reagent to perform Protein isolation Tissue - Human aortic endothelial cells

Get tips on using NE-PER™ Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Extraction Reagents to perform Protein isolation Mammalian cells - HLE-B3

As autophagy is a multi-step process which includes not just the formation of autophagosomes, but most importantly, flux through the entire system, including the degradation upon fusion with lysosomes, which makes it quite challenging for detection. There are several methods for detection in mammalian cells, including immunoblotting analysis of LC3 and p62 and detection of autophagosome formation/maturation by fluorescence microscopy, Currently, there is no single “gold standard” for determining the autophagic activity that is applicable in every experimental context, hence it is recommended to go for the combined use of multiple methods to accurately assess the autophagic activity in any given biological setting.

TUNEL assay is the cell death detection method where the biochemical marker of apoptosis is DNA fragmentation. The assay involves the microscopical detection of generated DNA fragments with free 3'-hydroxyl residues. in apoptotic cells using enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) which adds biotinylated nucleotides at the site of DNA breaks. Major challenges of this method involve proper access of the enzyme which could be hampered by poor permeabilization and/or excessive fixation with cross-linking fixative (common with archival tissue). This issue can be resolved by optimizing the incubation time with Proteinase K or CytoninTM.

TUNEL assay is the cell death detection method where the biochemical marker of apoptosis is DNA fragmentation. The assay involves the microscopical detection of generated DNA fragments with free 3'-hydroxyl residues. in apoptotic cells using enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) which adds biotinylated nucleotides at the site of DNA breaks. Major challenges of this method involve proper access of the enzyme which could be hampered by poor permeabilization and/or excessive fixation with cross-linking fixative (common with archival tissue). This issue can be resolved by optimizing the incubation time with Proteinase K or CytoninTM.

Contamination can affect cell characteristics, i.e., growth, metabolism, and morphology leading to unreliable and erroneous experimental data. Depending on the source of contaminants, one can detect contamination by using a light microscope, gram stain, isothermal amplification, or PCR. Bacteria and fungi can usually be identified by optical microscopy. Mycoplasma in cell cultures cannot be detected visually. Hence, these microbes can go unnoticed for long periods and are determined using dedicated assays. Early and rapid identification of contaminants is vital to detect, handle and prevent contamination for good cell-culture practices. However, detection and identification can be challenging and tricky based on usual visual identifications. Hence it is essential to use a standard contamination detection kit to detect and maintain best practices.