Is propidium iodide cell permeable?
Posted October 14, 2022
Answer
Propidium iodide (PI) is a fluorescent dye used to stain cells and nucleic acids. It is impermeable to cells with an intact plasma membrane. This is so it can be used to differentiate viable cells from dead cells. If the dye is able to stain a cell, that cell is deemed to be dead because it is lacking a membrane.
Additional resources
Propidium iodide staining underestimates viability of adherent bacterial cells