S-phase

The thymidine synthetic nucleoside analogue bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) has a long, colorful history of repeated use in molecular and cytokinetic studies, as detailed in reviews by Vanderlaan and Dolbeare (1,2).  Because BrDU is only incorporated into newly synthesized DNA in actively replicating S-phase cells, it allows for accurate and comprehensive quantitation of the pattern, rate, and progression of cell proliferation.

Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) variously abbreviated as BrdU, BudR, and BrdUrd, is a synthetic thymidine analog that gets incorporated into the DNA of dividing cells during the S-phase of the cell cycle and has a long history of heavy use in molecular and cytokinetic studies (1).

The thymidine analogue bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) has a long, colorful history of heavy use in molecular and cytokinetic studies (1, 2). BrDU is incorporated into newly synthesized DNA only in S-phase cells, and then immunocytochemically detected with BrDU antibodies. This method allows for extremely accurate and comprehensive comparative studies of a variety of cells ranging from normal to neoplastic.

BrdU (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine) is a thymidine analogue which is incorporated into the cells of DNA synthetic phase. Replicating cells undergo DNA synthesis in a highly regulated, S-phase of the cell cycle. The regulation of cell proliferation is central to tissue morphogenesis during the development of multicellular organisms. Furthermore, loss of control of cell proliferation underlies the pathology of diseases like cancer.