EDTA-AM (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, acetoxymethyl ester) represents the membrane-permeable version of the metal chelator EDTA. By incubating live cells with EDTA-AM, they passively absorb this compound. After entering the cell, cytoplasmic esterases break down the AM esters, liberating the active chelating agent EDTA that sequesters metal ions internally. The presence of EDTA-AM in cells leads to the cessation of mitotic progression and the decondensation of chromosomes [1] [2].

EDTA-AM处理有丝分裂细胞：收集有丝分裂细胞，接种到具有聚赖氨酸包被盖玻片和补充10% FBS的DMEM的12孔培养板中。将EDTA-AM溶解于100 mM DMSO中，以终浓度20 μM加入含0.02% Pluronic F-127的培养基，37℃下孵育100分钟。孵育后，计数有丝分裂细胞和间期细胞数量。将盖玻片上的细胞固定，用DAPI染色，并用对苯二胺（PPDI）溶液（20 mM HEPES：pH7.4，1 mM MgCl2，100 mM KCl，78%甘油，1 mg/mL PPDI）封片。