Worm Breeder's Gazette 11(1): 56b

These abstracts should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.

Staining Sensory Neurons with Carbocyanine Dyes

Edward Hedgecock

The lipophilic carbocyanine dyes, DiI and DiO, readily insert into 
exposed cell membranes and diffuse in the plane of the membrane to 
stain cell processes completely.  These dyes stain the amphid and 
phasmid neurons of living C.  elegans with a selectivity similar to 
FITC.  The staining is brighter and, more importantly, does not 
readily fade by either photobleaching or physiological mechanisms.  
Either DiI (rhodamine filters) or DiO (fluorescein filters) can be 
used but the former transfers to the sheath cells more rapidly.  The 
staining conditions are robust; 2 hours in a 10  g/ml suspension of 
DiOC18(3) (Cat.  No.  D275, Molecular Probes, Eugene OR) in M9 buffer 
at room temperature works well for the amphid and phasmid neurons.