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 Alexa Fluor 488
Alexa Fluor™ 488 (AF488, Alexa 488) has an excitation peak at 488 nm and an emission peak at 496 nm, and is considered a high-performance alternative to FITC. Alexa 488 is one of the most popular Alexa Fluor™ dyes and is widely used in Fluorescence Microscopy, flow cytometry, and for staining low expression markers. It is bright, highly photostable, resistant to pH changes, and less susceptible to photobleaching. Alexa 488 and is similar in size, brightness and application to DyLight™ 488, iFluor® 488 and CF®488A.