About alpha Fetoprotein
This gene encodes alpha-fetoprotein, a major plasma protein produced by the yolk sac and the liver during fetal life. Alpha-fetoprotein expression in adults is often associated with hepatocarcinoma and with teratoma, and has prognostic value for managing advanced gastric cancer. However, hereditary persistance of alpha-fetoprotein may also be found in individuals with no obvious pathology. The protein is thought to be the fetal counterpart of serum albumin, and the alpha-fetoprotein and albumin genes are present in tandem in the same transcriptional orientation on chromosome 4. Alpha-fetoprotein is found in monomeric as well as dimeric and trimeric forms, and binds copper, nickel, fatty acids and bilirubin. The level of alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid is used to measure renal loss of protein to screen for spina bifida and anencephaly. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2019]

About Alexa Fluor 555
Alexa Fluor™ 555 (AF555, Alexa 555) has an excitation peak at 555 nm and an emission peak at 565 nm, and is spectrally similar to Cy®3 (GE Healthcare), TRITC, iFluor® 555 (ATT Bioquest) and iFluor® 560 (ATT Bioquest). Many flow cytometers are equipped with 532nm lasers, so while Alexa 555 can be used for flow cytometry, PE is more commonly used due to its brightness and spectral characteristics. This dye is commonly used for fluorescence microscopy applications.