AffiASSAY® MTS Cell Proliferation Colorimetric Assay Kit
One-step colorimetric quantification of viable cells for proliferation, metabolic activity and cytotoxicity studies.
Introduction and assay principle
MTS offers distinct advantages as a detection reagent for cell proliferation assays. It provides a direct measurement of mitochondrial metabolic activity and therefore supports the assessment of cell viability and growth.
Compared with MTT, the MTS method provides a quicker, more sensitive and easier-to-use protocol, with improved linearity. The colored formazan product generated from MTS remains soluble, eliminating the need for a separate formazan-solubilization step.
The AffiASSAY® MTS Cell Proliferation Colorimetric Assay Kit is a one-step optimized assay for quantification of viable cells in proliferation and cytotoxicity studies. Reduction of MTS by viable cells to colored formazan is believed to be mediated by mitochondrial dehydrogenases. The resulting formazan is quantified by absorbance at 490 nm.
Applications
Cell proliferation
Study cell proliferation and responses to growth factors, cytokines, mitogens and nutrients.
Cytotoxicity
Evaluate cytotoxicity caused by anticancer drugs and other potentially toxic compounds.
Metabolic inhibition
Study inhibitors that reduce cell growth or cellular metabolic activity.
Available kit sizes
| Catalog number | Kit size | MTS reagent volume | Detection method |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFG-BV-0468 | 250 wells | 5 mL | Colorimetric |
| AFG-BV-0469 | 500 wells | 10 mL | Colorimetric |
| AFG-BV-0470 | 2,500 wells | 50 mL | Colorimetric |
| AFG-BV-0472 | 5,000 wells | 100 mL | Colorimetric |
| AFG-BV-0471 | 10,000 wells | 200 mL | Colorimetric |
Storage and handling
Assay protocol
-
Seed and culture the cellsCulture cells at an appropriate density for the cell type being used. A range of 5–100 × 103 cells per well in 200 µL of culture medium, with or without the compounds to be tested, is an appropriate starting range.
-
IncubateIncubate the cells for 24–48 hours.
-
Add MTS reagentAdd 20 µL of MTS reagent to each well containing 200 µL of culture medium. Incubate for 30 minutes to 4 hours under the same culture conditions used during the previous incubation.
-
Measure absorbanceShake the plate briefly and measure absorbance at 490 nm.
Important notes
Alternative culture volumes
When cells are cultured in a different volume of culture medium, maintain the volume of MTS reagent at 10% of the culture-medium volume.
Delayed absorbance measurement
Absorbance measurement may be postponed for up to 18 hours. Add 10 µL of 10% SDS to each well to kill the cells and stop the reaction. Protect the SDS-treated plate from light at room temperature until measurement.
Representative linear response
Jurkat cell response
Jurkat cells were diluted to the indicated numbers per well in serum-free medium. MTS reagent was added and the cells were incubated at 37°C for one hour.
The plate was then measured using a plate reader at 490 nm. The response was highly linear between 10 and 100 × 103 cells per well.