BMN-488 has the same structure as Alexa Fluor® 488 and accordingly the same bright green fluorescence and high photostability. BMN-488 is optimally excited by the 488 nm laser line, the fluorescence is pH independant over a wide pH range. Besides the identical chromophore of Alexa Fluor® 488, the following dyes with similar spectral properties may be replaced by BMN-488: DyLight® 488, Fluorescein, Fam, Oregon Green 488, Atto 488.
BMN-488 consists of a mixture of two isomers. The BMN-488 azide reacts under copper-catalyzed click chemistry conditions easily with an alkyne modified oligonucleotide or without any metal catalyst with strained cycloalkynes (e.g. DBCO).