Abstract
The use of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation into replicating DNA is a well-established and commonly used technique for identifying dividing cells in vivo and in cell culture. BrdU is a pyrimidine analog of thymidine that is incorporated into the DNA of cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle (1–3). Intra-peritoneal injection of BrdU in mice results in nuclear incorporation only where DNA is being actively replicated. The loading time needed to label an S-phase cell to detectability is estimated at <0.2 h directly after injection of BrdU (4). As the availability of BrdU decreases, the labeling time increases to about 0.65 h, 30 min after injection. Thereafter, cells that enter the S-phase continue to become detectably labeled for about 5–6 h. BrdU labeling therefore provides a method for rapidly detecting replicating DNA.
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Curran, J. (2001). In Vivo Assay of Cellular Proliferation. In: Wilson, J.B., May, G.H.W. (eds) Epstein-Barr Virus Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 174. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-227-9:379
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-227-9:379
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