Optimized β-galactosidase staining method for simultaneous detection of endogenous gene expression in early mouse embryos

Abstract
β‐Galactosidase (β‐gal) is one of the popular reporters for detecting the expression of endogenous or exogenous genes. Here we report 6‐chloro‐3‐indoxyl‐beta‐D‐galactopyranoside (S‐gal) is more sensitive for β‐gal activity than 5‐bromo‐4‐chloro‐3‐indolyl‐beta‐D‐galactoside (X‐gal), particularly during the early developmental stages of mouse embryos. Further, we successfully combined β‐gal staining with S‐gal and in situ hybridization using DIG‐labeled probes in both whole and sections of early stage embryos due to the sensitivity and color compatibility of S‐gal. genesis 44:57–65, 2006.