Forskolin, 10 mg

From STEMCELL Technologies, this cell-permeable diterpene directly activates adenylyl cyclase (IC50 = 41 nM), the enzyme that produces cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), thereby raising cAMP levels in the cell. cAMP is described as an important second messenger involved in many signal transduction pathways, including activation of protein kinase A (PKA).

The product is supplied as a crystalline solid with the chemical name 5-(acetyloxy)-3-ethenyldodecahydro-6,10,10b-trihydroxy-3,4a,7,7,10a-pentamethyl-(3R,4aR,5S,6S,6aS,10S,10aR,10bS)-1H-Naphtho[2,1-b]pyran-1-one (CAS 66575-29-9; also known as Colforsin and Coleonol). Its molecular formula is C22H34O7 with a molecular weight of 410.5 g/mol and a stated purity of ≥ 98%. Reported solubilities are ≤ 70 mM in DMSO, ≤ 35 mM in absolute ethanol, ~0.1 mg/mL in a 1:10 solution of DMSO:PBS (pH 7.2), ~0.15 mg/mL in ethanol, and ~30 mg/mL in DMSO or DMF. The product is stable at -20°C as supplied and should be protected from prolonged exposure to light. Stock solutions should be prepared fresh before use, aliquoted to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and final DMSO concentration kept below 0.1% for cell culture use due to potential cell toxicity.

Published research applications include chemical reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells, NGN2-mediated transdifferentiation of human fibroblasts to cholinergic neurons, direct lineage reprogramming of fibroblasts to mature neurons, conversion of human ES cells to a "naïve" or ground state, and potentiation of neuronal differentiation of rat hippocampal neural progenitor cells. The compound is classified as hazardous (Acute toxicity, Dermal Category 4; harmful in contact with skin and may be harmful if swallowed), and the manufacturer's quality management system is certified to ISO 13485. Products are for research use only and are not intended for human or animal diagnostic or therapeutic uses unless otherwise stated.