After loading dye into the cells, intracellular esterases remove the 'AM' moiety from the dye. When the 'AM' group is removed, the dye is able to bind calcium and fluoresce. Since the dye is not covalently bound to any cellular components, it may be actively effluxed from the cell. The rate of efflux is dependent upon the inherent properties of the cell, culture conditions and other factors. The dye may be retained for hours, days or even weeks or lost in a matter of minutes. The use of Probenecid (Cat. No. P36400) limits loss by active efflux.
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