Annexin V Kit allows fluorescent detection of annexin V bound to cells undergoing apoptosis. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an essential process, by which organisms ensure that critically damaged or mutated cells are removed. This process is highly regulated by a complex interplay of proteins.
During the early stages of apoptosis, the plasma membrane of a cell is rearranged, resulting in changes to the cell membrane’s phospholipid asymmetry. Phosphatidylserine (PS), a phospholipid located within the cell membrane, is translocated and displayed on the outer plasma membrane (Fadeel and Xue, 2009). Annexin V; a protein encoded by the ANXA5 gene, has a high binding affinity for PS in the presence of Ca2+, and is therefore used as a tool for detecting early apoptotic cells.
The conjugation protocol used to prepare this product has not changed the native phospholipid binding properties of annexin V. This protocol is designed to measure apoptosis easily and quickly in a sample of suspended cells.
