Improved DNA electrophoresis in conditions favoring polyborates and lewis acid complexation

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 5; no. 6; p. e11318
• Main Authors: Singhal, Hari, Ren, Yunzhao R, Kern, Scott E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 25-06-2010; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acids; Anions; Biotechnology; Borates - chemistry; Capillary electrophoresis; Cations; Cellulose acetate; Chemistry/Applied Chemistry; Chemistry/Biochemistry; Complexation; Compression; Conductance; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA - isolation & purification; Electrophoresis; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel - methods; Exhaustion; Experiments; Gels; Genetics and Genomics/Genomics; Heat; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Joule heating; Lewis acid; Lithium; Lithium compounds; Musical groups; Ohmic dissipation; Oncology; pH effects; Polyanions; Resistance; United States > US; Maryland; Baltimore Maryland
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011318

Spatial compression among the longer DNA fragments occurs during DNA electrophoresis in agarose and non-agarose gels when using certain ions in the conductive buffer, impairing the range of fragment sizes resolved well in a single gel. Substitutions using various polyhydroxyl anions supported the underlying phenomenon as the complexation of Lewis acids to DNA. We saw significant improvements using conditions (lithium borate 10 mM cations, pH 6.5) favoring the formation of borate polyanions and having lower conductance and Joule heating, delayed electrolyte exhaustion, faster electrophoretic run-speed, and sharper separation of DNA bands from 100 bp to 12 kb in a single run.