Editing DAPI (section)

==Live cells and toxicity==
DAPI can be used for fixed cell staining.  The concentration of DAPI needed for live cell staining is generally very high; it is rarely used for live cells.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Zink D, Sadoni N, Stelzer E |title=Visualizing Chromatin and Chromosomes in Living Cells. Usually for the live cells staining Hoechst Staining is used. DAPI gives a higher signal in the fixed cells compare to Hoechst Stain but in the live cells Hoechst Stain is used. |doi=10.1016/S1046-2023(02)00289-X  |journal=Methods |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=42–50 |year=2003 |pmid=12543070}}</ref> It is labeled non-toxic in its MSDS<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120305183437/http://www.kpl.com/docs/msds/710301.pdf DAPI MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET]. kpl.com</ref> and though it was not shown to have mutagenicity to ''E. coli'',<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Ohta T, Tokishita S, Yamagata H |title=Ethidium bromide and SYBR Green I enhance the genotoxicity of UV-irradiation and chemical mutagens in ''E. coli''. |journal=Mutat. Res. |volume=492 |issue=1–2 |pages=91–7 |year=2001 |pmid=11377248 |doi=10.1016/S1383-5718(01)00155-3}}</ref> it is labelled as a known mutagen in manufacturer information.<ref name="DAPI Nucleic Acid Stain"/> As it is a small DNA binding compound, it is likely to have some [[carcinogenic]] effects and care should be taken in its handling and disposal.