5-Bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate

BCIP
Names
IUPAC name
(5-bromo-4-chloro-1H-indol-3-yl) dihydrogen phosphate
Other names
BCIP
Identifiers
38404-93-2 Yes
ChemSpider 58873 
Jmol-3D images Image
Image
PubChem 65409
Properties
Molecular formula
C8H6BrClNO4P
Molar mass 326.47 g·mol−1
Appearance Colorless
soluble in water (sodium salt)
Except where noted otherwise, data is given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C (77 °F), 100 kPa)
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Infobox references

5-Bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate (BCIP, X-phosphate, XP) is an artificial chromogenic substrate used for the sensitive colorimetric detection of alkaline phosphatase activity. It is, for example, used in immunoblotting, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry, often in combination with nitro blue tetrazolium chloride (NBT).[1] Alkaline phosphatase hydrolyses BCIP to 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoxyl<JP Horwitz J. Med. Chem., 1966, 9 (3), pp 447–447> and inorganic phosphate. 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoxyl is oxidized by atmospheric oxygen to form the blue dye 5,5′-dibromo-4,4′-dichloro-indigo. It is also oxidized by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), which forms an insoluble dark blue diformazan precipitate after reduction. Alkaline phosphatase is commonly conjugated to secondary antibodies.

References

  1. http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/SIGMA/B1026