phenol red in media - (Feb/03/2010 )

can anybody tell me when to use phenol red free media.......is there any reason apart from toxicity

I use it with cells containing a ER fusion protein. Phenol red can mimic tamoxifen and activate the protein.
don't know of any other reason

Phenol Red, being a colored compound, absorbs light. Phenol Red-free media may absorbe light from many assays such as absorbance and luminescence and may autofluorece with some excitation lights in addion to absorbing emission.

Kevin

jwickenden on Feb 3 2010, 05:16 AM said:

Phenol red is a weak estrogen analogue - it will cause the estrogen receptor to internalize. Tamoxifen is an antagonist - it blocks but does not activate the receptor.

so that means i have to use phenol red free media when i am working on cell lines that respond to estrogen

correct