Antifungals Reagents in Cell Culture
Fungal Contamination in Cell Culture
Fungal infections in cell cultures can have severe consequences for cell health and experimental reproducibility. Fortunately, these infections are often visible to the naked eye. Fungal contaminations change the color of phenol cell culture red media and can cause rapid on-set turbidity in the media. While testing cultures for fungi is an important part of routine quality control, it is important to eliminate and prevent fungal infections before they start.
Antifungals for Cell Culture
Antifungal compounds are chemicals that target the integrity of fungal cell wall or cell membrane, thereby controlling or eliminating fungal infections in mammalian cells and human cell lines. Most antifungals either directly or indirectly increase the porosity of the fungi cell wall or membrane. These compounds can also interfere with the steps in cell wall synthesis. In addition to antibacterials, antifungals have been evolved as critical additives to culture medium when culturing cell lines.
Amphotericin B
Amphotericin B is also known as Fungizone and is most effective against fungi and yeast infections. The compound binds to sterols and forming pores in the membrane. These pores allow small molecules to leak out of the fungi or yeast, destroying the infection. Amphotericins are stable in cell culture for 3 days at 37˚C.
Nystatin
The antifungal Nystatin is also known as Mycostatin or Fungicidine. Like Amphotericin B, Nystatin eliminates fungal infections by binding to the sterols in the fungal cell membrane and causing small molecules to leak out. However, compared to Amphotericin B, Nystatin has a larger concentration window and is less toxic to the cells in culture. Nystatins are stable in cell culture for 3 days at 37 ˚C.
We also offer water-soluble versions of Nystatin (N6803 & N9150) which are convenient to use, avoid the use of organic solvents, and are most suitable to protect sensitive cells against contamination.
Other Sources of Contamination
Contamination is a significant concern in cell culture experiments and gathering reliable data. Mycoplasma contamination, bacterial contamination, and other common contaminants can negatively affect data reproducibility. Therefore, it is important to protect your cultures by exploring antibiotic powders and solutions for your cells, selecting the right antibiotics for your cells, and determining a suitable antibiotic concentration for your cells.
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