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Ref ID : 4182

J.L. Van Houten, R. Smith, J. Wymer, B. Palmer, and M. Denaro; Fluorescein-Conjugated Folate as an Indicator of Specific Folate Binding to Paramecium. J.Protozool. 32(4):613-616, 1985

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Normal Paramecium tetraurelia cells strained with fluorescein-conjugated folate show intense flourescence that can be reduced to near background autofluorescence with excess K2-folate, but not with excess KCl. Mutant d4-534, which is not attracted to folate and does not specifically bind [3H]-folate, shows reduced fluorescence when stained. This method of monitoring specific folate binding to cells can be adapted to a microscale for rapid screening of clones since cells are routinely fixed and stained in microtiter wells.