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DAPI

Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)

EntityQ238382· pop 26· linked from 62 articles

Also known as 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, antifade, 2-(4-(aminoiminomethyl)phenyl)-1H-indole-6-carboximidamide, 4',6-diamidinophenyl-indole

DAPI (pronounced 'DAPPY', /ˈdæpiː/), or 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, is a fluorescent stain that binds strongly to adenine–thymine-rich regions in DNA. It is used extensively in fluorescence microscopy. As DAPI can pass through an intact cell membrane, it can be used to stain both live and fixed cells, though it passes through the membrane less efficiently in live cells and therefore provides a marker for membrane viability.

Chemical data

Formula
C16H15N5
Molecular weight
277.32 g/mol
IUPAC name
2-(4-carbamimidoylphenyl)-1H-indole-6-carboximidamide
SMILES
C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC3=C(N2)C=C(C=C3)C(=N)N)C(=N)N
InChIKey
FWBHETKCLVMNFS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
XLogP
1.6
Polar surface area
116 Ų
H-bond donors
5
H-bond acceptors
2
Formal charge
0

via PubChem

Research

10,023 papers

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Mass
277.133
Image
Indian Muntjac fibroblast cells (24271618921).jpg
Show 3 more facts
Commons category
DAPI
chemical formula
C₁₆H₁₅N₅
canonical SMILES
C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC3=C(N2)C=C(C=C3)C(=N)N)C(=N)N
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~4 min read

Article

6 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Modelling of absorption and fluorescence properties
  • Live cells and toxicity
  • Alternatives
  • References
  • See also

DAPI (pronounced 'DAPPY', /ˈdæpiː/), or 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, is a fluorescent stain that binds strongly to adenine–thymine-rich regions in DNA. It is used extensively in fluorescence microscopy. As DAPI can pass through an intact cell membrane, it can be used to stain both live and fixed cells, though it passes through the membrane less efficiently in live cells and therefore provides a marker for membrane viability.

==History== DAPI was first synthesised in 1971 in the laboratory of Otto Dann as part of a search for drugs to treat trypanosomiasis. Although it was unsuccessful as a drug, further investigation indicated it bound strongly to DNA and became more fluorescent when bound. This led to its use in identifying mitochondrial DNA in ultracentrifugation in 1975, the first recorded use of DAPI as a fluorescent DNA stain.

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