Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide

3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide; MTT; Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide

Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide, also called 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide and methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide, and mainly known as MTT, is employed in the so-called MTT reduction or colorimetric assay. The MTT assay is used to determine the metabolic activity of living cells and the viable cell number in proliferation and cytotoxicity studies. The assay is based on the enzymatic reduction of the yellow MTT to the purple-blue water-insoluble formazan catalysed by mitochondrial dehydrogenases of living cells. The amount of formazan produced is directly proportional to the number of viable cells and can be quantified by measuring absorbance at 570nm. The MTT assay is broadly employed in cell biology because it is rapid and economical. MTT is also used as enzyme substrates in studies of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-dependent dehydrogenases.

Membrane-permeable dye used in measurement of cell proliferation. It produces a yellowish tetrazole solution that is converted to dark blue, water-insoluble MTT formazan by intracellular NAD(P)H-oxidoreductases of living cells. The blue crystals are solubilized and the intensity is measured colorimetrically at 570 nm.

Methylthialazole Tetrazolium, also known as MTT or Tetrazolium Bromide, is a cell-permeable and positively charged tetrazolium dye that is used to detect reductive metabolism in cells. It is taken up by cells through the plasma membrane and then reduced to formazan by intracellular NAD(P)H-oxidoreductases. It is frequently used in colorimetric assays to measure cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis.