EZCell™ Intracellular Zinc Staining Kit (Cell-Based)

Zinc (Zn, Atomic Number: 30) is an essential mineral of great biological significance. It is a metal with characteristics similar to Magnesium due to its size and +2 oxidation state. It is the second most abundant transition metal in living organisms after iron. Zn2+ binding proteins account for nearly 50% of the transcription regulatory proteins in the human genome and require zinc as an essential cofactor in the regulation of gene expression. Numerous enzymes also employ Zn2+ ions in their active sites. Free Zn2+ is released from metalloprotein complexes during oxidative stress with the remainder being bound to proteins or nucleic acids. Other examples of biological roles of Zinc include signal transduction, regulation of apoptosis, neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity and prostate gland function. In humans, Zinc deficiency is associated with many chronic diseases such as renal disease, sickle cell anemia, cirrhosis, some cancers and deficiencies in metabolism. BioVision has developed the EZCell™ Intracellular Zinc Staining Kit (cell-based) which contains a selective and membrane permeable fluorescent probe for detection of intracellular Zinc. We also include a Positive Control that elevates Zinc staining, and cell-permeable Zinc Chelator that reduces fluorescence induced by Positive Control. This easy-to-use non-radioactive assay allows studies of the regulation of Zinc at the cellular level by Fluorescence Microscopy and Flow Cytometry in cultured cells