Hi,
I would like to know how people usually handle phalloidin dye (to stain actin) during immunochemistry? I know that is comes from the deadly mushroom Amanita phalloides. I have read the security data sheet that says that it is fatal if swollen, if in skin contact and if inhalated (https://www.thermofisher.com/document-connect/document-connect.html?url=https://assets.thermofisher.com/TFS-Assets%2FLSG%2FSDS%2FT7471_MTR-NALT_EN.pdf).
However, I have read in the user guide of this compound that the amount of toxins in each vial was lethal "only" for a mosquito. I am then a bit puzzled and I am not sure how to handle this product.
Do you handle it under a fume hood using gloves and eye protection? Or is there something more to do to be safer?
Thanks for your reply.
phalloidin and other phallotoxins are not cell-permeant; you can only label fixed and permeabilized cells with it. So toxicity isn't an issue for assays with it. but if you were somehow to artificially introduce it into a cell, such as with microinjection, it would bind the actin and negatively affect the actin dynamics, which would in turn affect cell function.
Consult your EHS group, but you should use PPE suitable for it (gloves that are resistant to the solvent in the stock, lab coat, safety glasses), but you shouldn't need to use a hood.
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