To understand the biological function of molecular species researchers often 'tag' the molecules of interest with fluorescent labels. However, this is often done by using bulky antibodies that can interfere with the action of the molecule of interest or using chemistries that are not specific enough to give meaningful results.
To broach this problem, Invitrogen has licensed 'Click-iT' technology from Harvard University that enables fluorescent labels to be 'clicked' onto those biological molecules of interest.
"Click chemistry permits the labelling and detection of biological events that were previously impossible using standard methods, [and this] technology represents a significant advancement over conventional techniques and augments the power of our click chemistry," said Augie Sick, vice president of Invitrogen's Cellular Analysis Business Unit.
"This advancement allows researchers to examine cell proliferation in parallel with other biomarkers thus enhancing the power of this fundamental method for assessing cell health, determining genotoxicity and evaluating anti-cancer drugs."
Actively dividing cells are 'fed' a modified nucleic subunit dubbed EdU which is incorporated into newly synthesised DNA. This subunit contains a functional group onto which a fluorescent label can then be attached via a catalytic 'click' reaction.
The labelled molecules can then be detected during flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy or high-content screening experiments.
The technology enhances Invitrogen's growing portfolio of intellectual property surrounding the use of 'click chemistry' in biological applications. The area was originally developed by Nobel Laureate Professor Barry Sharpless at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla,US.
The click reaction is, by definition, extremely specific and efficient enabling tagged molecules to retain their biological function as the fluorescent labels are small enough not to significantly perturb them.
"Traditional methods of specifically labelling cellular components require antibodies, which may be larger than the molecule a scientist is trying to visualize; this may compromise the function of that molecule," said Sick.
"On the other hand, direct fluorescent labelling will label your molecule of interest along with many others, making precise observations impossible. Click chemistry marries the specificity of antibodies with the flexibility of direct labelling, giving scientists new tools to probe into cellular function."
In addition to licenses from The Scripps Research Institute and Harvard Universities, Invitrogen has commercial licenses from the University of California, Berkeley, the National Institutes of Health and the California Institute of Technology to market 'Click-iT' kits for glycoprotein profiling.
These kits enable researchers to label subsets of glycoproteins in live cells, extracts or purified samples with a group that enables easy identification during analysis using a mass spectrometer (MS).
