About mGluR5
This gene encodes a member of the G-protein coupled receptor 3 protein family. The encoded protein is a metabatropic glutamate receptor, whose signaling activates a phosphatidylinositol-calcium second messenger system. This protein may be involved in the regulation of neural network activity and synaptic plasticity. Glutamatergic neurotransmission is involved in most aspects of normal brain function and can be perturbed in many neuropathologic conditions. A pseudogene of this gene has been defined on chromosome 11. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, May 2014]

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.