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Key Documents

P4937

Sigma-Aldrich

Percoll®

pH 8.5-9.5 (25 °C), suitable for cell culture

Synonym(s):

Density gradient medium

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About This Item

MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12161902
NACRES:
NA.75
Pricing and availability is not currently available.

sterility

aseptically filled

Quality Level

technique(s)

cell culture | mammalian: suitable
single cell analysis: suitable

pH

8.5-9.5 (25 °C)

density

1.13 g/mL±0.005 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

storage temp.

2-8°C

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General description

Percoll® is a classic medium for density gradient centrifugation of cells, viruses, and subcellular particles. It consists of colloidal silica particles of 15-30 nm diameter (23% w/w in water), which have been coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The PVP coating renders the product completely non-toxic and ideal for use with biological materials. Due to its heterogeneity in particle size, sedimentation occurs at different rates, spontaneously creating very smooth, isometric gradients in the range of 1.0-1.3 g/ml.

Application

Percoll consists of colloidal silica particles of 15-30 nm diameter (23% w/w in water) which have been coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). It is used in cell separation and organelle isolation.
Percoll consists of colloidal silica particles of 15-30 nm diameter (23% w/w in water) which have been coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). It is used to establish non-toxic low viscosity, low osmolarity density gradients that can be used to isolate cells, organelles and viruses. It has been used to separate inner and outer membrane vesicles from E. coli. Percoll is isosmotic throughout the gradient, non-toxic, and is easily removed from the purified materials.
Percoll® has been used in the centrifugal separation of:
  • neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes[1]
  • leucocytes from a blood sample[2]
  • peritubular myoid (PM) cells[3]
Suitable for use in preparation of single cell suspension for sequencing.

Features and Benefits

  • Low osmolality permits precise adjustment to physiological conditions without significant interference from the medium.
  • Compatible with living cells and viruses and allows separation and recovery of intact, fully active systems.
  • Impermeable to biological membranes, resulting in no change of buoyant density of particles during centrifugation.
  • Spontaneous formation of gradient during centrifugation allows mixing of large sample volumes in the centrifuge tubes.
  • Low viscosity results in rapid formation of gradients and particle separation.
  • Most biological particles having sedimentation coefficient values greater than 60S can be successfully isolated in Percoll gradients.

Legal Information

Percoll is a registered trademark of Cytiva

related product

Product No.
Description
Pricing

Storage Class Code

12 - Non Combustible Liquids

WGK

nwg

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

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Maryam Ghaedi et al.
The Journal of experimental medicine, 217(3) (2019-12-10)
Lung group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) drive allergic inflammation and promote tissue repair. ILC2 development is dependent on the transcription factor retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor (RORα), which is also expressed in common ILC progenitors. To elucidate the developmental
Hila Doron et al.
Cell reports, 28(7), 1785-1798 (2019-08-15)
Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer due to its high rate of metastasis, frequently to the brain. Brain metastases are incurable; therefore, understanding melanoma brain metastasis is of great clinical importance. We used a mouse model of spontaneous melanoma brain
Density gradients prepared from colloidal silica particles coated by polyvinylpyrrolidone (Percoll).
H Pertoft et al.
Analytical biochemistry, 88(1), 271-282 (1978-07-15)
Ann-Chang Cheng et al.
Veterinary immunology and immunopathology, 121(3-4), 206-215 (2007-11-06)
Brown-marbled grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus which had been fed diets containing sodium alginate and kappa (kappa)-carrageenan at 5, 10 and 20gkg(-1), respectively after 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 14 weeks were examined for survival, growth, innate cellular and humoral responses
Nunzia Pastore et al.
Nature communications, 11(1), 2461-2461 (2020-05-20)
It is well established that pluripotent stem cells in fetal and postnatal liver (LPCs) can differentiate into both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. However, the signaling pathways implicated in the differentiation of LPCs are still incompletely understood. Transcription Factor EB (TFEB), a

Protocols

To prepare a Percoll gradient, the osmolality of Percoll must be adjusted with saline or cell culture medium to make Percoll isotonic with physiological salt solutions.

To prepare a Percoll gradient, the osmolality of Percoll must be adjusted with saline or cell culture medium to make Percoll isotonic with physiological salt solutions.

To prepare a Percoll gradient, the osmolality of Percoll must be adjusted with saline or cell culture medium to make Percoll isotonic with physiological salt solutions.

To prepare a Percoll gradient, the osmolality of Percoll must be adjusted with saline or cell culture medium to make Percoll isotonic with physiological salt solutions.

Questions

1–7 of 7 Questions  
  1. Further to the above question: "When using Product P1644, Percoll®, what density should I use for my particular system?", when I review the sheet for granulocytes and RBCs it gives a centrifugation speed as "*" . What does this mean?

    1 answer
    1. Percoll and Percoll Plus are manufactured by Cytiva. The Product Information Sheet for this product provides a basic protocol and references for common cell types. Additional references and mathematical models can be found on the Cytiva website.
      Typically, references identify a specific density for each cell type or molecule of interest. Instructions for preparing a specific density are included in the product information sheet or a similar document on the Cytiva website. The references will mention the G force to be used, as it accurately defines the centrifuge conditions. If revolutions per minute (RPM) is stated, the radius of the centrifuge affects the outcome. Nomogram tables are available for converting G force to RPM. To find a nomogram table, search for "nomogram" in the document titled "Centrifugal Filters: Guide to Converting g-Force to RPM." Instructions for use are included to convert G force to the appropriate RPM setting for a specific centrifuge.

      Helpful?

  2. What is the difference between Percoll® Products P4937 and P1644?

    1 answer
    1. Product Nos. P1644 and P4937 are both Percoll. Product No. P4937 has additional testing for use in cell culture.

      Helpful?

  3. When using Product P1644, Percoll®, what density should I use for my particular system?

    1 answer
    1. The product information sheet (under Documents, above) has a table of densities for different organelles and cell types.

      Helpful?

  4. What is the Department of Transportation shipping information for this product?

    1 answer
    1. Transportation information can be found in Section 14 of the product's (M)SDS.To access the shipping information for this material, use the link on the product detail page for the product.

      Helpful?

  5. Is there a "best" salt solution to use with Product P1644, Percoll®?

    1 answer
    1. Percoll can be used with various salt formulations (PBS, 1.5 M NaCl, HBSS, etc.). Physiological saline and balanced salt solutions can be suggested.  Sucrose is included to prevent aggregation.  You can find detailed preparation instructions on the product information sheet (under Documents, above) for this product.

      Helpful?

  6. Can Percoll®, Product P1644, be autoclaved?

    1 answer
    1. Percoll can be autoclaved, but this must be done without any salts or sucrose present.

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  7. Can you help me calculate gradients for Percoll®, Product P1644?

    1 answer
    1. The product information sheet (under Documents, above) has an equation for calculating density of a given solution.

      Helpful?

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