About Spectrin beta 3
Spectrins are principle components of a cell's membrane-cytoskeleton and are composed of two alpha and two beta spectrin subunits. The protein encoded by this gene (SPTBN2), is called spectrin beta non-erythrocytic 2 or beta-III spectrin. It is related to, but distinct from, the beta-II spectrin gene which is also known as spectrin beta non-erythrocytic 1 (SPTBN1). SPTBN2 regulates the glutamate signaling pathway by stabilizing the glutamate transporter EAAT4 at the surface of the plasma membrane. Mutations in this gene cause a form of spinocerebellar ataxia, SCA5, that is characterized by neurodegeneration, progressive locomotor incoordination, dysarthria, and uncoordinated eye movements. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2009]

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.