BD Phosflow™ Perm Buffer IV (Perm Buffer IV) is intended for the permeabilization of paraformaldehyde-fixed single-cell suspensions
prepared from lymphoid tissues, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and lysed whole blood cells. Permeabilization of cells by
treatment with this buffer and subsequent washing with staining buffer enables access for fluorescent antibodies to stain intracellular
molecules. This buffer preserves the light scattering properties of cells while providing the capacity for intracellular immunofluorescent
staining in preparation for Phosflow cytometric analysis.
Perm Buffer IV is formulated for improved immunofluorescent staining and detection of certain intracellular phosphorylated proteins. PBMC,
for example, can be treated with protein kinase activators (eg, phorbol esters) or inhibitors, mitogens or cytokines and fixed with BD
Cytofix™ Fixation Buffer (Cat. No. 554655). In the case of peripheral whole blood cells, the blood cells can be treated, erythrocytes lysed and
the remaining leukocytes fixed using BD Phosflow™ Lyse/Fix Buffer (Cat. No. 558049). Following fixation, the cells can then be
permeabilized with Perm Buffer IV and washed with staining buffer to allow for effective intracellular staining. Designed for optimal staining
of cells destined for flow cytometric analysis, Perm Buffer IV can be used with fluorescent antibodies specific for phosphorylated cell
signaling molecules to define the nature of signaling pathways induced by individual cells responding to various activators, inhibitors, or
combinations thereof. At a 1.0× concentration, Perm Buffer IV has been shown to support large fold changes (i.e., mean fluorescent intensity
staining ratios of treated versus untreated cell populations) for phosphorylated Signal transducer and activators of transcription (Stat) proteins.
However, it should be noted that at a 1.0× concentration, Perm Buffer IV may result in a greater cell loss (~18% to 48%) than other BD
permeabilization buffers and decreased ability to stain certain cell-surface markers. At a 0.5× concentration, the BD Phosflow™ Perm Buffer
IV has been shown to be compatible with the immunofluorescent staining of phosphorylated intracellular Stat proteins, although sometimes
with lower fold changes. Unlike the 1.0× concentration of Perm Buffer IV, the 0.5× concentration of Buffer IV offers improved compatibility
for staining cell-surface CD markers and results in comparable cell recoveries when compared with the BD Phosflow™ Perm Buffers I, II, and
III. The figures demonstrate some examples of intracellular and cell-surface staining of cells that were permeabilized with Perm Buffer IV at
1× and 0.5× concentrations.