Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) is a carbohydrate-binding lectin that has high affinity for sialic acid and N-acetylglucosamine moieties of glycoproteins. As a result, WGA conjugates will label yeast bud scars and the cell membrane of gram bacteria and mammalian cells.

• Stain yeast bud scars as well as the cell membrane of gram bacteria and mammalian cells or tissues
• Suitable for Western Blot, ELISA, immunohistochemistry and other standard immunoassay applications
• A retrograde or anterograde neuronal tracer
• Withstands fixation and permeabilization
• Choice of 15 CF® Dyes from UV to near-infrared, biotin, or HRP
• Superior CF® Dyes are bright, photostable, and water-soluble

WGA is commonly used to label glycoproteins for imaging of the plasma membrane in live or fixed cells, for staining of tissue sections, or for western blotting.  WGA can be used as a gram stain to fluorescently label gram bacteria but not gram- bacteria. WGA also binds to the bud scars on budding yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Find the Right Stain for Your Application

WGA and other lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins that recognize specific sugar moieties on glycoproteins.  The presence and distribution of these targets vary between cell types and tissues. As a result, other cell surface stains or other lectin conjugates, Concanavalin A (Con A) Conjugates and PNA Lectin Conjugates, may produce better surface staining and may be more appropriate for your cell type. Lectin conjugates can be used to selectively stain the cell surface of live cells, and withstand fixation and permeabilization. When cells are fixed and permeabilized before staining, fluorescent lectins stain both cell surface and organelles in the secretory pathway. Lectins may be toxic or stimulatory to live cells depending on cell type. To find the right stain for your application, see our Membrane & Cell Surface Stains Comparison. See our Cellular Stains Table for more information on how our dyes stain various organisms.

Superior CF® Dyes

Biotium’s next-generation CF® Dyes were designed to be highly water-soluble with advantages in brightness and photostability compared to Alexa Fluor®, DyLight®, and other fluorescent dyes. Learn more about CF® Dyes.

Note: Conjugates of blue-fluorescent dyes like CF®350, CF®405S and CF®405M are not recommended for detecting low abundance targets and may be challenging to use in tissue specimens. Blue dyes have lower fluorescence and photostability, and cells and tissue have high autofluorescence in blue wavelengths, resulting in lower signal to noise compared to other colors.

Wheat Germ Agglutinin Conjugates

Full List of Lectin Conjugates