Cell-surface outlines
Check surface signal against unstained controls and morphology; brightness across cell types is not a direct measure of membrane area.
AF350 familyGlycan staining · Fluorescent conjugate
AF350 WGA
Catalog no. QH-10-1001(WGA)
A wheat germ agglutinin conjugate for accessible cell-surface glycans and membrane outlines.
Excitation346nm
Emission445nm
Binding targetGlcNAcGlcNAc- and sialic-acid-containing glycans
ConjugateAF350–WGA
Spectra and detection conditions ↗Preparation & storage
- Formulation
- Supplied as an aqueous solution
- Storage
- Store at 2–8°C, protect from light. Do not freeze
AF350 WGA
A wheat germ agglutinin conjugate for accessible cell-surface glycans and membrane outlines.
WGA recognizes glycoconjugates containing GlcNAc and sialic acid. Signal reflects glycan distribution and accessibility; fixation, permeabilization and uptake in living cells can change localization.
AF350–WGA
GlcNAc / Sia
Glycan recognition
Dashed line: noncovalent binding.
Applications and samples
Glycan imaging in fixed samples
Compare fixation and permeabilization conditions and define whether surface or intracellular glycans are the target.
Formulation and use
This aqueous fluorescent conjugate requires no additional dye conjugation. Store at 2–8°C protected from light; do not freeze. Check the vial concentration and buffer before dilution.
AF350 WGA · Specifications
- Product name
- AF350 WGA
- Catalog no.
- QH-10-1001(WGA)
- Dye family
- AF350
- Conjugated ligand
- WGA
- Binding target
- GlcNAc- and sialic-acid-containing glycans
- Pack sizes
- 1 mg / 5 mg / 10 mg / 25 mg / 100 mg
- Concentration and dose
- Formulation
- Supplied as an aqueous solution
- Storage
- Store at 2–8°C, protect from light. Do not freeze
- Excitation peak (catalog reference)
- 346 nm
- Emission peak (catalog reference)
- 445 nm
- Ligand name
- Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)
- Binding mode
- Noncovalent lectin binding to accessible glycans
- Readout
- Glycoconjugate distribution and cell-surface outlines
- Sample preparation
- Evaluate live and fixed samples separately; permeabilization changes glycan accessibility
Concentration, volume and optical measurements
Calculate working dilutions from the vial concentration; pack mass does not specify test count. Peak wavelengths guide initial channel selection; sample, buffer and instrument settings also affect detection.
AF350 WGA · Protocol
The following outlines assay preparation. Confirm amounts, incubation time and temperature using this product’s instructions.
Before staining
Prepared 0 / 3
Define sample preparation
Record cell type, culture state, fixation and permeabilization; compare preparation conditions separately.
Check the working solution
Set up a dilution series using the product concentration and instructions. Use a compatible aqueous buffer.
Control incubation variables
Stain protected from light and record temperature and duration. In live cells, monitor whether surface signal becomes intracellular over time.
Wash and standardize acquisition
Remove unbound probe using the applicable wash procedure. Match exposure, gain and analysis regions across groups.
Assess localization and background
Use morphology and independent localization markers to distinguish surface outlines, intracellular puncta and diffuse background.
Assay troubleshooting
Intracellular puncta
Compare incubation time, temperature and permeabilization rather than hiding intracellular signal by raising the threshold.
Weak or uneven outlines
Check glycan variation, sample damage, reagent amount and optics; WGA does not label all membrane structures equally.
Request product documentation
Choose a document and enter your phone and email. Include the product lot number for a CoA.
AF350 WGAQH-10-1001(WGA)
Product manual
Working solutions, assay conditions, sample requirements and storage
Certificate of analysis (CoA)
Provide the vial lot number to request the corresponding test items and results
Safety data sheet (SDS)
Formulation-specific handling, protection and disposal information
Supplementary documents
Formulation and labeling information
Concentration, buffer, preservatives, labeling density and available testing records
Application and detection information
Sample preparation, controls, assay guidance and troubleshooting
Batch quality
Catalog specifications identify the product. Purity, component analysis, test methods and acceptance criteria are supplied in the lot-matched CoA. Include the vial lot number when requesting the report above.
Information for technical support
Include sample type, live or fixed state, buffer, instrument and channels, existing controls and the question to resolve.
Technical articles
Labeling guide
Read guide →WGA signal and membrane outlines
WGA labels accessible glycans. Check outline continuity for segmentation; intensity is not a direct measure of membrane amount.
Labeling guide
Read guide →Distinguishing WGA surface signal from uptake
WGA can be internalized by live cells. Interpret intracellular signal using timing and localization.
Labeling guide
Read guide →Fixation and permeabilization conditions for WGA staining
Fixation and permeabilization can change glycan accessibility. Compare outlines, intracellular signal and background separately.
Spectra & detection
Read article →AF350 spectra and detection channels
Read the bandpass wavelength range and use single-stain controls to check spillover.
References
References on reaction chemistry, ligand recognition and assay interpretation. Reagents and conditions belong to each study; these papers do not validate Qihe AF product performance or establish equivalence to Alexa Fluor products.
Labeling membrane glycoproteins or glycolipids with fluorescent wheat germ agglutinin
Chazotte B. · Cold Spring Harbor Protocols · 2011(5):pdb.prot5623 · 2011
Describes glycan-dependent membrane labeling with WGA, informing sample preparation and imaging design.
DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot5623
FAQ
Does WGA stain only the plasma membrane?
It recognizes glycans. Permeabilization or uptake can produce intracellular signal that must be interpreted with sample preparation.
Is WGA a universal viability dye?
WGA positivity or negativity does not directly establish viability. Use an appropriate independent assay.
Why does brightness vary between cells?
Compare cell state and glycan accessibility before reviewing concentration, washing and acquisition.
How should I store it? Can I freeze it?
Store at 2–8°C, protect from light. Do not freeze. Consult the instructions for the storage duration of diluted working solutions.
How can I confirm concentration, labeling density and lot quality?
Use the vial label and formulation document for concentration, and the lot-matched CoA for labeling density and test results.
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