BODIPY-aminoacetaldehyde diethyl acetal (BAAA-DA) is a stable precursor to BODIPY-aminoacetaldehyde, a cell-permeable fluorescent substrate for aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).^1,2BODIPY-aminoacetaldehyde diethyl acetal is converted under acidic conditions to BODIPY-aminoacetaldehyde (BAAA).²BAAA is cell-permeant and is converted intracellularly by ALDH to BODIPY aminoacetate (BAA), which is retained by cells and can be used to identify cells with high ALDH activity.¹BAA is a substrate for the efflux pump P-glycoprotein (P-gp) but co-application of BAAA with a P-gp inhibitor, such as verapamil , inhibits BAA efflux.²BAAA-DA has been used to isolate human hematopoietic progenitor cells, which have high ALDH activity, andviaflow cytometry to sort cancer stem cells that contain high levels of ALDH.^1,3BAA used in cells can be excited at 488 nm and displays an emission maximum of 512 nm.⁴

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