Cal-500™ AM
Ordering information
Price | |
Catalog Number | |
Unit Size | |
Quantity |
Additional ordering information
Telephone | 1-800-990-8053 |
Fax | 1-800-609-2943 |
sales@aatbio.com | |
Quotation | Request |
International | See distributors |
Shipping | Standard overnight for United States, inquire for international |
Physical properties
Dissociation constant (Kd, nM) | 303 |
Molecular weight | 1019.92 |
Solvent | DMSO |
Spectral properties
Excitation (nm) | 388 |
Emission (nm) | 482 |
Quantum yield | 0.481 |
Storage, safety and handling
H-phrase | H303, H313, H333 |
Hazard symbol | XN |
Intended use | Research Use Only (RUO) |
R-phrase | R20, R21, R22 |
Storage | Freeze (< -15 °C); Minimize light exposure |
UNSPSC | 12352200 |
Related products
Overview | ![]() ![]() |
Molecular weight 1019.92 | Dissociation constant (Kd, nM) 303 | Excitation (nm) 388 | Emission (nm) 482 | Quantum yield 0.481 |
Calcium measurement is critical for numerous biological investigations. Fluorescent probes that show spectral responses upon binding calcium have enabled researchers to investigate changes in intracellular free calcium concentrations by using fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence microplate readers. Cal-500™ is an UV-excitable calcium indicator with maximum emission at ~500 nm. It has a Stokes Shift larger than 100 nm. It can also be well excited with the 405 nm violet laser with a moderate calcium affinity of Kd ~303 nM. In CHO and HEK cells Cal-500™ AM has great cellular calcium response. The excitation spectra of Cal-500 is well separated from those of FITC, Alexa Fluor® 488 and GFP, making it an ideal calcium probe for multiplexing intracellular assays with GFP cell lines, FITC/Alexa Fluor® 488 labeled antibodies or other red fluorescent probes.
Platform
Fluorescence microscope
Excitation | DAPI |
Emission | DAPI |
Recommended plate | Black wall/clear bottom |
Fluorescence microplate reader
Excitation | 400 |
Emission | 500 |
Cutoff | 470 |
Recommended plate | Black wall/clear bottom |
Instrument specification(s) | Bottom read mode/Programmable liquid handling |
Example protocol
PREPARATION OF STOCK SOLUTIONS
Unless otherwise noted, all unused stock solutions should be divided into single-use aliquots and stored at -20 °C after preparation. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Cal-500™ AM Stock Solution
Prepare a 2 to 5 mM stock solution of Cal-500™ AM in high-quality, anhydrous DMSO.PREPARATION OF WORKING SOLUTION
Cal-500™ AM Working Solution
On the day of the experiment, either dissolve Cal-500™ AM in DMSO or thaw an aliquot of the indicator stock solution to room temperature. Prepare a dye working solution of 2 to 20 µM in a buffer of your choice (e.g., Hanks and Hepes buffer) with 0.04% Pluronic® F-127. For most cell lines, Cal-500™ AM at a final concentration of 4-5 μM is recommended. The exact concentration of indicators required for cell loading must be determined empirically.Note The nonionic detergent Pluronic® F-127 is sometimes used to increase the aqueous solubility of Cal-500™ AM. A variety of Pluronic® F-127 solutions can be purchased from AAT Bioquest.
Note If your cells contain organic anion-transporters, probenecid (1-2 mM) may be added to the dye working solution (final in well concentration will be 0.5-1 mM) to reduce leakage of the de-esterified indicators. A variety of ReadiUse™ probenecid products, including water-soluble, sodium salt, and stabilized solution, can be purchased from AAT Bioquest.
SAMPLE EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL
Following is our recommended protocol for loading AM esters into live cells. This protocol only provides a guideline and should be modified according to your specific needs.
- Prepare cells in growth medium overnight.
- On the next day, add 1X Cal-500™ AM working solution into your cell plate.
Note If your compound(s) interfere with the serum, replace the growth medium with fresh HHBS buffer before dye-loading. - Incubate the dye-loaded plate in a cell incubator at 37 °C for 30 to 60 minutes.
Note Incubating the dye for longer than 2 hours can improve signal intensities in certain cell lines. - Replace the dye working solution with HHBS or buffer of your choice (containing an anion transporter inhibitor, such as 1 mM probenecid, if applicable) to remove any excess probes.
- Add the stimulant as desired and simultaneously measure fluorescence using either a fluorescence microscope equipped with a DAPI filter set or a fluorescence plate reader containing a programmable liquid handling system such as an FDSS, FLIPR, or FlexStation, at Ex/Em = 400/500 nm cutoff 470 nm.
Calculators
Common stock solution preparation
Table 1. Volume of DMSO needed to reconstitute specific mass of Cal-500™ AM to given concentration. Note that volume is only for preparing stock solution. Refer to sample experimental protocol for appropriate experimental/physiological buffers.
0.1 mg | 0.5 mg | 1 mg | 5 mg | 10 mg | |
1 mM | 98.047 µL | 490.235 µL | 980.469 µL | 4.902 mL | 9.805 mL |
5 mM | 19.609 µL | 98.047 µL | 196.094 µL | 980.469 µL | 1.961 mL |
10 mM | 9.805 µL | 49.023 µL | 98.047 µL | 490.235 µL | 980.469 µL |
Molarity calculator
Enter any two values (mass, volume, concentration) to calculate the third.
Mass (Calculate) | Molecular weight | Volume (Calculate) | Concentration (Calculate) | Moles | ||||
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Spectrum
Open in Advanced Spectrum Viewer


Spectral properties
Excitation (nm) | 388 |
Emission (nm) | 482 |
Quantum yield | 0.481 |
Product Family
Name | Excitation (nm) | Emission (nm) | Quantum yield |
Cal-590™ AM | 574 | 588 | 0.621 |
Cal-630™ AM | 609 | 626 | 0.371 |
Cal-520®, AM | 493 | 515 | 0.751 |
Cal-520FF™, AM | 493 | 515 | 0.751 |
Cal-520N™, AM | 493 | 515 | 0.751 |
Images

Figure 1. Response of endogenous P2Y receptor to ATP in CHO-K1 cells. CHO-K1 cells were seeded overnight at 40,000 cells per 100 µL per well in a 96-well black wall/clear bottom costar plate. 100 µL of Cal-500 AM in HHBS with probenecid were added into the wells, and the cells were incubated at 37 °C for 60 min. The dye loading medium were replaced with 200 µL HHBS. Images were taken before and after the addition of 50 µL of 10 µM ATP via a fluorescence microscope (Keyence) using 405 nm and 465 nm long pass filters.
Citations
View all 10 citations: Citation Explorer
Calreticulin regulates TGF-β1-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition through modulating Smad signaling and calcium signaling
Authors: Wu, Yanjiao and Xu, Xiaoli and Ma, Lunkun and Yi, Qian and Sun, Weichao and Tang, Liling
Journal: The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology (2017)
Authors: Wu, Yanjiao and Xu, Xiaoli and Ma, Lunkun and Yi, Qian and Sun, Weichao and Tang, Liling
Journal: The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology (2017)
Monosialoganglioside 1 may alleviate neurotoxicity induced by propofol combined with remifentanil in neural stem cells
Authors: Lu, Jiang and Yao, Xue-qin and Luo, Xin and Wang, Yu and Chung, Sookja Kim and Tang, He-xin and Cheung, Chi Wai and Wang, Xian-yu and Meng, Chen and Li, Qing and others, undefined
Journal: Neural Regeneration Research (2017): 945
Authors: Lu, Jiang and Yao, Xue-qin and Luo, Xin and Wang, Yu and Chung, Sookja Kim and Tang, He-xin and Cheung, Chi Wai and Wang, Xian-yu and Meng, Chen and Li, Qing and others, undefined
Journal: Neural Regeneration Research (2017): 945
Obtaining spontaneously beating cardiomyocyte-like cells from adipose-derived stromal vascular fractions cultured on enzyme-crosslinked gelatin hydrogels
Authors: Yang, Gang and Xiao, Zhenghua and Ren, Xiaomei and Long, Haiyan and Ma, Kunlong and Qian, Hong and Guo, Yingqiang
Journal: Scientific Reports (2017): 41781
Authors: Yang, Gang and Xiao, Zhenghua and Ren, Xiaomei and Long, Haiyan and Ma, Kunlong and Qian, Hong and Guo, Yingqiang
Journal: Scientific Reports (2017): 41781
Dexmedetomidine reduces hypoxia/reoxygenation injury by regulating mitochondrial fission in rat hippocampal neurons
Authors: Liu, Jia and Du, Qing and Zhu, He and Li, Yu and Liu, Maodong and Yu, Shoushui and Wang, Shilei
Journal: Int J Clin Exp Med (2017): 6861--6868
Authors: Liu, Jia and Du, Qing and Zhu, He and Li, Yu and Liu, Maodong and Yu, Shoushui and Wang, Shilei
Journal: Int J Clin Exp Med (2017): 6861--6868
Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-induced apoptosis in rat INS-1 cells is dependent on activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and suppression of antioxidant protection
Authors: Sun, Xia and Lin, Yi and Huang, Qiansheng and Shi, Junpeng and Qiu, Ling and Kang, Mei and Chen, Yajie and Fang, Chao and Ye, Ting and Dong, Sijun
Journal: Journal of cellular and molecular medicine (2015): 581--594
Authors: Sun, Xia and Lin, Yi and Huang, Qiansheng and Shi, Junpeng and Qiu, Ling and Kang, Mei and Chen, Yajie and Fang, Chao and Ye, Ting and Dong, Sijun
Journal: Journal of cellular and molecular medicine (2015): 581--594
The effect of mitochondrial calcium uniporter on mitochondrial fission in hippocampus cells ischemia/reperfusion injury
Authors: Zhao, Lantao and Li, Shuhong and Wang, Shilei and Yu, Ning and Liu, Jia
Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications (2015): 537--542
Authors: Zhao, Lantao and Li, Shuhong and Wang, Shilei and Yu, Ning and Liu, Jia
Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications (2015): 537--542
Role of mitochondrial calcium uniporter in regulating mitochondrial fission in the cerebral cortexes of living rats
Authors: Liang, Nan and Wang, Peng and Wang, Shilei and Li, Shuhong and Li, Yu and Wang, Jinying and Wang, Min
Journal: Journal of Neural Transmission (2014): 593--600
Authors: Liang, Nan and Wang, Peng and Wang, Shilei and Li, Shuhong and Li, Yu and Wang, Jinying and Wang, Min
Journal: Journal of Neural Transmission (2014): 593--600
Propofol and remifentanil at moderate and high concentrations affect proliferation and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells
Authors: Li, Qing and Lu, Jiang and Wang, Xianyu and others, undefined
Journal: Neural regeneration research (2014): 2002
Authors: Li, Qing and Lu, Jiang and Wang, Xianyu and others, undefined
Journal: Neural regeneration research (2014): 2002
Fungus induces the release of IL-8 in human corneal epithelial cells, via Dectin-1-mediated protein kinase C pathways.
Authors: Peng, Xu-Dong and Zhao, Gui-Qiu and Lin, Jing and Jiang, Nan and Xu, Qiang and Zhu, Cheng-Cheng and Qu, Jain-Qiu and Cong, Lin and Li, Hui
Journal: International journal of ophthalmology (2014): 441--447
Authors: Peng, Xu-Dong and Zhao, Gui-Qiu and Lin, Jing and Jiang, Nan and Xu, Qiang and Zhu, Cheng-Cheng and Qu, Jain-Qiu and Cong, Lin and Li, Hui
Journal: International journal of ophthalmology (2014): 441--447
Increased expression of cell adhesion molecule 1 by mast cells as a cause of enhanced nerve--mast cell interaction in a hapten-induced mouse model of atopic dermatitis
Authors: Hagiyama, M and Inoue, T and Furuno, T and Iino, T and Itami, S and Nakanishi, M and Asada, H and Hosokawa, Y and Ito, A
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2013): 771--778
Authors: Hagiyama, M and Inoue, T and Furuno, T and Iino, T and Itami, S and Nakanishi, M and Asada, H and Hosokawa, Y and Ito, A
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2013): 771--778
References
View all 53 references: Citation Explorer
A flow cytometric comparison of Indo-1 to fluo-3 and Fura Red excited with low power lasers for detecting Ca(2+) flux
Authors: Bailey S, Macardle PJ.
Journal: J Immunol Methods (2006): 220
Authors: Bailey S, Macardle PJ.
Journal: J Immunol Methods (2006): 220
Functional fluo-3/AM assay on P-glycoprotein transport activity in L1210/VCR cells by confocal microscopy
Authors: Orlicky J, Sulova Z, Dovinova I, Fiala R, Zahradnikova A, Jr., Breier A.
Journal: Gen Physiol Biophys (2004): 357
Authors: Orlicky J, Sulova Z, Dovinova I, Fiala R, Zahradnikova A, Jr., Breier A.
Journal: Gen Physiol Biophys (2004): 357
Comparison of human recombinant adenosine A2B receptor function assessed by Fluo-3-AM fluorometry and microphysiometry
Authors: Patel H, Porter RH, Palmer AM, Croucher MJ.
Journal: Br J Pharmacol (2003): 671
Authors: Patel H, Porter RH, Palmer AM, Croucher MJ.
Journal: Br J Pharmacol (2003): 671
Measurement of the dissociation constant of Fluo-3 for Ca2+ in isolated rabbit cardiomyocytes using Ca2+ wave characteristics
Authors: Loughrey CM, MacEachern KE, Cooper J, Smith GL.
Journal: Cell Calcium (2003): 1
Authors: Loughrey CM, MacEachern KE, Cooper J, Smith GL.
Journal: Cell Calcium (2003): 1
A sensitive method for the detection of foot and mouth disease virus by in situ hybridisation using biotin-labelled oligodeoxynucleotides and tyramide signal amplification
Authors: Zhang Z, Kitching P.
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Authors: Zhang Z, Kitching P.
Journal: J Virol Methods (2000): 187
Kinetics of onset of mouse sperm acrosome reaction induced by solubilized zona pellucida: fluorimetric determination of loss of pH gradient between acrosomal lumen and medium monitored by dapoxyl (2-aminoethyl) sulfonamide and of intracellular Ca(2+) chang
Authors: Rockwell PL, Storey BT.
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Authors: Rockwell PL, Storey BT.
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MRP2, a human conjugate export pump, is present and transports fluo 3 into apical vacuoles of Hep G2 cells
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Authors: Cantz T, Nies AT, Brom M, Hofmann AF, Keppler D.
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Use of co-loaded Fluo-3 and Fura Red fluorescent indicators for studying the cytosolic Ca(2+)concentrations distribution in living plant tissue
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Authors: Walczysko P, Wagner E, Albrechtova JT.
Journal: Cell Calcium (2000): 23
[Ca2+]i following extrasystoles in guinea-pig trabeculae microinjected with fluo-3 - a comparison with frog skeletal muscle fibres
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Authors: Wohlfart B., undefined
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Determination of the intracellular dissociation constant, K(D), of the fluo-3. Ca(2+) complex in mouse sperm for use in estimating intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations
Authors: Rockwell PL, Storey BT.
Journal: Mol Reprod Dev (1999): 418
Authors: Rockwell PL, Storey BT.
Journal: Mol Reprod Dev (1999): 418
Application notes
A Comparison of Fluorescent Red Calcium Indicators for Detecting Intracellular Calcium Mobilization in CHO Cells
A Meta-Analysis of Common Calcium Indicators
A New Red Fluorescent & Robust Screen Quest™ Rhod-4™ Ca2+Indicator for Screening GPCR & Ca2+ Channel Targets
A New Robust No-Wash FLIPR Calcium Assay Kit for Screening GPCR and Calcium Channel Targets
A Novel NO Wash Probeniceid-Free Calcium Assay for Functional Analysis of GPCR and Calcium Channel Targets
A Meta-Analysis of Common Calcium Indicators
A New Red Fluorescent & Robust Screen Quest™ Rhod-4™ Ca2+Indicator for Screening GPCR & Ca2+ Channel Targets
A New Robust No-Wash FLIPR Calcium Assay Kit for Screening GPCR and Calcium Channel Targets
A Novel NO Wash Probeniceid-Free Calcium Assay for Functional Analysis of GPCR and Calcium Channel Targets
FAQ
Are there any calcium indicators that don't require probenecid (PBC)?
Are there upgraded trypan blue derivatives for cell viability testing?
Can I intracellularly measure mitochondria calcium flux and changes in mitochondria membrane potential at the same time?
Do you offer any products for measuring intracellular calcium concentration or movement by flow cytometry?
How do I make an AM ester stock solution?
Are there upgraded trypan blue derivatives for cell viability testing?
Can I intracellularly measure mitochondria calcium flux and changes in mitochondria membrane potential at the same time?
Do you offer any products for measuring intracellular calcium concentration or movement by flow cytometry?
How do I make an AM ester stock solution?