Bioactivity | Ethidium bromide is an intercalating agent commonly used as a fluorescent tag (nucleic acid stain) in molecular biology laboratories for techniques such as agarose gel electrophoresis. |
Invitro | Guidelines (Following is our recommended protocol. This protocol only provides a guideline, and should be modified according to your specific needs).The preparation of agarose gel:1. Agarose gels are commonly used in concentrations of 0.5% to 2.5% depending on the size of bands needed to be separated.2. Mix the agarose powder with 1X TAE/TBE.3. Microwave for 1-3 min until the agarose is completely dissolved (Caution: not overboil).4. Make the solution cool down before solidification.5. Add ethidium bromide (EtBr) to a final concentration of approximately 0.2-0.5 μg/mL (Stocks are generally 10 mg/ml, and require 5 µL stock/100 mL gel).6. Ethidium bromide binds to the DNA and you could visualize the DNA under ultraviolet (UV) light.CAUTION: EtBr is a known mutagen. Please pay attention to strengthening protection. |
Name | Ethidium bromide |
CAS | 1239-45-8 |
Formula | C21H20BrN3 |
Molar Mass | 394.31 |
Appearance | Solid |
Transport | Room temperature in continental US; may vary elsewhere. |
Storage | 4°C, sealed storage, away from moisture and light *In solvent : -80°C, 6 months; -20°C, 1 month (sealed storage, away from moisture and light) |
Reference | [1]. P Stevenson, et al. Comparison of isometamidium chloride and homidium bromide as prophylactic drugs for trypanosomiasis in cattle at Nguruman, Kenya. Acta Trop. 1995 May;59(2):77-84. [2]. Sabnis, Ram Wasudeo (2010). Handbook of Biological Dyes and Stains: Synthesis and Industrial Application. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-40753-0. |