Bromodeoxyuridine

Bromodeoxyuridine

Bromodeoxyuridine (pronounced bro-mo-de-oxy-uridine), often abbreviated as BrdU, is a synthetic nucleoside that is an analogue of thymidine. It is commonly used in the detection of proliferating cells in living tissues.

Etymology

The term "Bromodeoxyuridine" is derived from its chemical structure. It contains the element bromine (bromo-), is a type of deoxyribose sugar (-deoxy-), and is a uridine analogue (-uridine).

Usage

Bromodeoxyuridine is incorporated into the newly synthesized DNA of replicating cells (during the S phase of the cell cycle), substituting for thymidine during DNA replication. Antibodies specific for BrdU can then be used to detect the incorporated chemical, thus indicating cells that were replicating their DNA. Binding of the antibody requires denaturation of the DNA, usually by exposing the cells to acid or heat.

Related Terms

• Cell Cycle
• DNA Replication
• Thymidine
• Antibody
• Nucleoside
• Bromine

See Also

• 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine
• 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine
• 5-Chloro-2'-deoxyuridine
• 5-Iodo-2'-deoxyuridine

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Bromodeoxyuridine
• Wikipedia's article - Bromodeoxyuridine

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