Amir,
        Several of us at the IMR have used FM 4-64 as a general membrane
stain.  We have found it to be much easier to use than other dyes such as
DiI since it is easily solubilized in buffers and also in sea water.  We
have stained brain slices, Ascaris sperm and sea urchin embryos.  The dye
is blazingly bright, not easily photobleached, and has low background since
the dye appears to be less fluorescent when in solution (not in membranes).
It is also great for looking at living material.  Ascaris sperm continued
to crawl and sea urchins continued to gastrulate after staining.
        Hope this information helps.

                        Victoria Centonze Frohlich
                        Deputy Director, IMR
                        University of Wisconsin, Madison

                        Pre-MSA meeting SYMPOSIUM / WORKSHOP
                        "Applications of Multi-photon Excitation Imaging"
                                August 9 and 10, 1997
                                Sheraton City Hotel and Cleveland
Convention Center
                                For information:
                                (608) 265-3083 or [log in to unmask]

>Hello list members.
>
>Molecular Probes recently recommended to me FM 4-64 as a membrane dye to
>stain tissue sections.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  We are
>trying to measure cell volumes of pyloric smooth muscle cells from biopsy
>specimens.  We have a noran LSCM attached to an Indy workstation running
>InterVision.
>
>Thanks for any response or advice.
>
>Amir A. L. Bastawrous, MD
>Fellow in Pediatric Critical Care and ECMO
>The University of Chicago
>Department of Surgery
>Section of Pediatric Surgery
>
>(773) 702-6175  Office
>(773) 702-2283  Lab
>(773) 702-2281  Fax
>(773) 702-6800  Pager (7208)