Detection of DNA Synthesis in Proliferating Cells with EdU

EdU(5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine)is a terminal alkyne-containing nucleoside analog of thymidine,and is incorporated into DNA during the active DNA synthesis.EdU detection method is based on the click chemistry.In a Cu(I)-catalyzed reaction,the alkyne of EdU reacts with an azide containing fluorochrome,forming a stable covalent bond.EdU-based assay has been successfully used in the detection of cell proliferation and the proportion of cells during S-phase.In this review,were summarized the principle and superiority of EdU detection method and introduce several experiments based on EdU.