7 AAD / 7-amino-actinomycin D

Stains
7 AAD / 7-amino-actinomycin D

Author: Nat Pernick, M.D. (see Authors page)

Revised: 2 September 2015, last major update July 2013

Copyright: (c) 2003-2015, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: 7 AAD

Table of Contents

Definition / general | Diagrams / tables | Uses by pathologists | Positive staining - normal | Negative staining

Cite this page: 7 AAD / 7-amino-actinomycin D. PathologyOutlines.com website. http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stains7aad.html. Accessed July 12th, 2017.

Definition / general

Fluorescent dye that binds DNA and is excited by a 488 nm laser, commonly used in flow cytometry
Intact cells exclude 7 AAD, but dead or apoptotic cells that have lost membrane intergrity allow 7 AAD entry, which binds to DNA (Wikipedia, Nat Protoc 2007;2:187)

Diagrams / tables

7 AAD fluorescence

Uses by pathologists

Used in flow cytometry to reduce non-specific staining by eliminating 7 AAD positive cells (dead cells) from further analysis
Can use to exclude dead sperm (Andrologia 2010;42:20)

Positive staining - normal

Dead cells: allow entry of dye, which binds DNA and fluoresces with 488 nm laser commonly used in flow cytometry

Negative staining

Viable cells (do not allow entry of dye into cell)