About TIAM1
This gene encodes a RAC1-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). GEFs mediate the exchange of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) for guanosine triphosphate (GTP). The binding of GTP induces a conformational change in RAC1 that allows downstream effectors to bind and transduce a signal. This gene thus regulates RAC1 signaling pathways that affect cell shape, migration, adhesion, growth, survival, and polarity, as well as influencing actin cytoskeletal formation, endocytosis, and membrane trafficking. This gene thus plays an important role in cell invasion, metastasis, and carcinogenesis. In addition to RAC1, the encoded protein activates additional Rho-like GTPases such as CDC42, RAC2, RAC3 and RHOA. This gene encodes multiple protein isoforms that experience a diverse array of intramolecular, protein-protein, and phosphorylation interactions as well as phosphoinositide binding. Both the longer and shorter isoforms have C-terminal Dbl homology (DH) and pleckstrin homology (PH) domains while only the longer isoforms of this gene have the N-terminal myristoylation site and the downstream N-terminal PH domain, ras-binding domain (RBD), and PSD-95/DlgA/ZO-1 (PDZ) domain. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2017]

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.