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One brand name of PVA is Mowiol, and here is my recipe - actually from Harlow & Lane Antibody book. I prepare 3-4x the amount because I aliquot into small vials (1-2ml) which will last many months at -20deg.
Judy

Mowiol recipe
Add 2.4g Mowiol (Mowiol 4-88, Calbiochem #475904) to 6 gm of glycerol. Stir to mix.
Add 6ml water and leave for several hours (overnight) at room temperature.
Add 12ml of 0.2M PBS and heat to 50°C for 10 minutes with occasional stirring * use slow speed hot/stir plate or water bath.
After Mowiol disolves, clarify by centrifugation at 5000g for 15 mins.
For fluorescence detection, add 1,4-diazobicyclo-[2,2,2]-octane (DABCO, Sigma) to 2.5% as anti bleaching agent.
Aliquot in airtight tubes and store at -20°C Stocks are stable at 4°C for several weeks after thawing.
Add small drop of the mounting medium to the specimen (for 36mmx22mm coverslip, add ~45mm) carefully to avoid air bubble formation. Remove excess with tissue.
After mounting, leave slides at room temperature for an hour for polymerization of mowiol, then store at 4°C, in the dark.
Avoid polymerization  in humid environment - for example where slides were incubated because mowiol will never harden.



Judy Trogadis
Bio-Imaging Coordinator
St. Michael's Hospital, 7Queen
30 Bond St.
Toronto, ON M5B 1W8
Canada
ph:  416-864-6060  x6337
pager: 416-685-9219
fax: 416-864-6043
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>>> Krishanu Ray <[log in to unmask]> 12/2/2003 6:40:44 AM >>>
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Hi ALL,

We were using vectashield for mounting our samples but off late noticed that
it causes fading of our staining. One of my friend suggested I should use a
mixture of DABCO and PVA for bettern result. Does any one have a protocol
for makaing such a mounting media?

We will be really greatful if one of you could help us.


thanks in advance,

krishanu.
Dr. Krishanu Ray
Department of Biological Sciences
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Colaba, Mumabai 400 005, India.