Texas Red, a hydrophilic, red-emitting fluorophore for use with fluorescein in dual parameter flow microfluorometric and fluorescence microscopic studies.

The sulfonylchloride derivative of the red-emitting fluorophore, sulforhodamine 101, has been synthesized in order to provide a reagent for coupling to amino groups on proteins and other compounds, and it is now commercially available under the name 'Texas Red'. Texas Red conjugates of antibodies and other proteins have been prepared in high protein yields; these conjugates retained their biological activities and were strongly fluorescent. The excitation and emission spectra of Texas Red conjugates are widely separated from those of molecules labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate. Texas Red is therefore an excellent reagent for use in single or dual label flow microfluorometric and fluorescent microscopic studies.