About Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan
This gene encodes the perlecan protein, which consists of a core protein to which three long chains of glycosaminoglycans (heparan sulfate or chondroitin sulfate) are attached. The perlecan protein is a large multidomain proteoglycan that binds to and cross-links many extracellular matrix components and cell-surface molecules. It has been shown that this protein interacts with laminin, prolargin, collagen type IV, FGFBP1, FBLN2, FGF7 and transthyretin, etc., and it plays essential roles in multiple biological activities. Perlecan is a key component of the vascular extracellular matrix, where it helps to maintain the endothelial barrier function. It is a potent inhibitor of smooth muscle cell proliferation and is thus thought to help maintain vascular homeostasis. It can also promote growth factor (e.g., FGF2) activity and thus stimulate endothelial growth and re-generation. It is a major component of basement membranes, where it is involved in the stabilization of other molecules as well as being involved with glomerular permeability to macromolecules and cell adhesion. Mutations in this gene cause Schwartz-Jampel syndrome type 1, Silverman-Handmaker type of dyssegmental dysplasia, and tardive dyskinesia. Alternative splicing of this gene 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.