TABLE 3.
Non-exhaustive list of labels commonly used in incorporation assays.
| Type of label | Target macromolecule | Detection |
| Radioactive | ||
| 3H-thymidine | DNA | Scintillation counter or microautoradiography (MAR) |
| 3H-leucine | Protein | Scintillation counter or microautoradiography (MAR) |
| 14C-leucine | Protein | Scintillation counter or microautoradiography (MAR) |
| 14C-acetate | All | Scintillation counter or microautoradiography (MAR) |
| 14C-glucose | All | Scintillation counter or microautoradiography (MAR) |
| 3H-hypoxanthine | All | Scintillation counter or microautoradiography (MAR) |
| Stable isotopes | ||
| 13C | All | Raman, mass spectrometry, density separation |
| 15N | Protein DNA | Raman, mass spectrometry, density separation |
| 2H nucleoside | DNA | Raman, mass spectrometry, density separation |
| 2H (2H2O) | Lipids | Raman, mass spectrometry, density separation |
| Substrate analogs | ||
| L-Azidohomoalanine (AHA) | Protein (methionine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| L-Homopropargylglycine (HPG) | Protein (methionine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Ethynyl-D-alanine (EDA) | Protein (alanine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Azido-D-alanine (ADA) | Protein (alanine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| O-Propargyl-puromycin (OPP) | Protein (alanine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| N-Azidoacetylmannosamine-tetraacylated (Ac4ManNAz) | Glycosylated protein | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| N-Azidoacetylglucosamine-tetraacylated (Ac4GlcNAz) | Glycosylated protein | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| N-Azidoacetylgalactosamine-tetraacylated (Ac4GalNAz) | Glycosylated protein | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) | DNA (thymidine analog) | Immunostaining or immunocapture |
| 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EDU) | DNA (thymidine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| (2′S)-2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro-5-ethynyluridine (F-ara-EdU) | DNA (thymidine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| 5-Ethynyl uridine (EU) | RNA (uridine analog) | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Alkynyl palmitic acid | Lipids | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Azido palmitic acid | Lipids | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Alkynyl myristic acid | Lipids | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Azido myristic acid | Lipids | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Alkynyl stearic acid | Lipids | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |
| Azido stearic acid | Lipids | Click chemistry with matching fluorescent or affinity tag |