About HspB8
The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the superfamily of small heat-shock proteins containing a conservative alpha-crystallin domain at the C-terminal part of the molecule. The expression of this gene in induced by estrogen in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, and this protein also functions as a chaperone in association with Bag3, a stimulator of macroautophagy. Thus, this gene appears to be involved in regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis, and mutations in this gene have been associated with different neuromuscular diseases, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

About FITC
Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) has an excitation peak at 495 nm and an emission peak at 519 nm. The name FITC is a misnomer in that the isothiocyanate is a reactive form of this dye. Once FITC is conjugated to an antibody, it is simply Fluorescein conjugated. FITC is one of the most widely used dyes for fluorescent applications, therefore most instruments come standard with a 488 nm laser and FITC filter set up. FITC is commonly conjugated to secondary antibodies and used in applications such as flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, and immunohistochemistry. FITC is relatively dim, sensitive to photobleaching and it is susceptible to changes is pH. There are better performing alternatives to FITC, like Vio®Bright 515, Alexa Fluor™ 488, iFluor® 488, CF®488A and DY-488. FITC is a long-time generic dye with no sole manufacturer or trademark.