About SSH1
The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the slingshot homolog (SSH) family of phosphatases, which regulate actin filament dynamics. The SSH proteins dephosphorylate and activate the actin binding/depolymerizing factor cofilin, which subsequently binds to actin filaments and stimulates their disassembly. Cofilin is inactivated by kinases such as LIM domain kinase-1 (LIMK1), which may also be dephosphorylated and inactivated by SSH proteins. The SSH family thus appears to play a role in actin dynamics by reactivating cofilin proteins. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been described for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2011]

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.