What are the limitations of acridine orange stain?
Posted March 12, 2024
Answer
Acridine orange is a cell-permeable, nucleic acid selective fluorescent dye.
Limitations of acridine orange stain include:
- Must be performed on unfixed tissue and examined quickly
- Cannot be used for multiple labeling
- Is non-specific and does not differentiate between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria
- Staining of cellular nuclei makes it difficult to visualize intracellular organisms
- Its sensitivity is approximately 104 bacteria/ml
Additional resources
Using the vital dye acridine orange to detect dying cells in Drosophila