Agarose 1%
-weigh 2 g agarose in a 500 ml bottle -ad 200 ml 1* TAE buffer -in the magnetron (H2) 600 W, 3 min. or autoclave 20 min 120°C -ad 2 µl ethidiumbromide (10 mg/ml) -keep it at 60 °C.
Agarose 1.5%
-weigh 3 g agarose in a 500 ml bottle -ad 200 ml 1* TAE buffer -in the magnetron (H2) 600 W, 3 min. or autoclave 20 min 120°C -ad 2 µl ethidiumbromide (10 mg/ml) -keep it at 60 °C.
APS 10%
make a 10% (w/v) solution of AmmoniumPeroxodiSulfat (mw 228.2) in milliQ (1 gram in 10 ml) and store 0.5 ml alliquots at -20°C.
CTAB 5%
CTAB (hexadecyltrimethylammoniumbromide) 5 g in 100 ml 120 mM K2HPO4 pH 8.0 chloroform + isoamylalcohol 24 : 1.
EDTA 0.5 M (pH 8.0)
Solve 186.1 g Na2EDTA-2H2O (mw = 372.24) in 700 ml aqua by adjusting the pH to 8.0 with 10 M NaOH (appr. 45 ml), add bidest to make the volume 1 liter.
Ethidium bromide
10 mg ethidium bromide in 1 ml H20
EDTA 0.5 M pH=8.0
Dissolve 186.1 g Na2EDTA.2H2O in 700 ml water,
adjust pH to 8 with 10 M NaOH (± 50 ml)
add H2O to make 1 liter
Autoclave 20 min 120°C store at room temperature
Gel-dye TTGE/DGGE
0.05 g bromophenol blue in 10 ml 1* TAE
K2HPO4 buffer solution pH 8.0
make 120 mM K2HPO4 (MW = 174.18) 20.9 g/l
make 120 mM KH2PO4 (MW = 136.09) 16.3 g/l
ad 947 ml K2HPO4 and 53 ml KH2PO4 together , adjust the pH with
one of the solutions
Loading buffer (6*) DNA TTGE DGGE
0.05% (w/v) bromophenol blue (0.05 g)
40% (w/v) sucrose (40 g)
0.1 M EDTA pH=8 (20 ml 0.5M EDTA)
0.5% (w/v) SDS (0.5 g)
adjust volume to 100 ml
NaAc 3M
40.82 g SodiumAcetat -trihydrat (mw 136.08) in 100 ml aqua
NaOH 10 M
dissolve 400 g Sodium hydroxide (mw 40.0) in 450 ml H2O. Add H2O to 1 liter.
PCI
phenol + chloroform + isoamylalcohol 25 : 24 : 1 (put some buffer on top)
Tris-Cl 1 M (pH 8.0)
solve 121 g Tris base (mw = 121.14) in 800 ml aqua adjust the pH to 8.0 with conc.HCl (appr. 45 ml) , add bidest to make the volume 1 liter
TE (ph 8.0)
10 mM Tris-Cl 10ml/l 1M Tris-Cl pH 8.0 1 mM EDTA 2ml/l 0.5M EDTA pH 8.0
TAE buffer 50*
242.0 g Tris-base
57.1 ml Acetic Acid glacial 100 ml 0.5 M EDTA or 37.2 g Na2EDTA.2H2O Check pH (=8) and adjust volume to 1000 ml with dH2O Autoclave 20 min 120°C store at room temperature.
TAE running buffer 1*
Mix 20 ml 50* TAE with 980 ml H2O
Molarities and Specific Gravities of Concentrated Acids and Basesa
Acid/base | Molecular weight | % by weight | Molarity (approx.) | Specific gravity | 1M solution (ml/liter) | |||
Acetic acid (glacial) | 60.05 | 99.6 | 17.4 | 1.05 | 57.5 | |||
Ammonium | 35.0 | 28 | 14.8 | 0.90 | 67.6 | |||
hydroxide | ||||||||
Formic acid | 46.03 | 90 | 23.6 | 1.205 | 42.4 | |||
98 | 25.9 | 1.22 | 38.5 | |||||
Hydrochloric acid | 36.46 | 36 | 11.6 | 1.18 | 85.9 | |||
Nitric acid | 63.01 | 70 | 15.7 | 1.42 | 63.7 | |||
Perchloric acid | 100.46 | 60 | 9.2 | 1.54 | 108.8 | |||
72 | 12.2 | 1.70 | 82.1 | |||||
Phosphoric acid | 98.00 | 85 | 14.7 | 1.70 | 67.8 | |||
Sulfuric acid | 98.07 | 98 | 18.3 | 1.835 | 54.5 | |||
a CAUTION: Handle strong acids and bases carefully. | ||||||||
Acid precipitation solution
1 M HCl
0.1 M sodium pyrophosphate
Nucleic acids can also be precipitated with a 10% (w/v) solution of trichloroacetic acid (TCA); however, this recipe is cheaper, easier to prepare, and just as efficient.
Ammonium hydroxide, concentrated stock solution
See Table A.2A.1.
Ammonium acetate, 10 M
Dissolve 385.4 g ammonium acetate in 150 ml H2O Add H2O to 500 ml
Ammonium sulfate, saturated
76 g ammonium sulfate 100 ml H2O Heat with stirring to just below boiling point Let stand overnight at room temperature
ATP, 100 mM
1 g ATP (adenosine triphosphate) 12 ml H2O Adjust pH to 7.0 with 4 M NaOH Adjust volume to 16.7 ml with H2O Store in aliquots indefinitely at -20 C
BBS (BES-buffered solution), 2x
50 mM N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (BES; Calbiochem) 280 mM NaCl
1.5 mM Na2HPO4, pH 6.95 800 ml H2O Adjust pH to 6.95 with room temperature 1 N NaOH H2O to 1 liter Filter sterilize through a 0.45-um nitrocellulose filter (Nalgene) Store in aliquots at -20 C (can be frozen and thawed repeatedly)
The pH of this solution is critical (pH 6.95 to 6.98). When a new batch of 2x BES buffer is prepared, its pH should be checked against a reference stock prepared (and tested) earlier
BSA (bovine serum albumin), 10% (w/v)
Dissolve 10 g BSA (e.g., Sigma) in 100 ml H2O. Filter sterilize using a low-protein-binding 0.22-um filter. Store indefinitely at 4 C.
Lower-concentration stock solutions (e.g., 1%), which are useful for various applications, can be made by diluting 10% stock appropriately with sterile water.
BSA is available in various forms that differ in fraction of origin, preparation, purity, pH, and cost; the most commonly used is fraction V. Use the form that is appropriate for the application; this may need to be optimized empirically.
CaCl2, 1 M
147 g CaCl2·2H2O H2O to 1 liter
Carbonate buffer
1. 1.6 g Na2CO3 (15 mM final)
2. 2.9 g NaHCO3 (35 mM final)
0.2 g NaN3 (3.1 mM final)
H2O to 1 liter
Adjust to pH 9.5
CAUTION: Sodium azide is poisonous; follow appropriate precautions for handling, storage, and disposal.
CMF-DPBS (calcium-and magnesium-free Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline)
8.00 g NaCl (0.137 M)
1. 0.20 g KCl (2.7 mM)
2. 2.16 g Na2HPO4·7H2O (8.1 mM)
0.20 g KH2PO4 (1.1 mM)
H2O to 1 liter
Store at room temperature
Denhardt solution, 100x
10 g Ficoll 400 10 g polyvinylpyrrolidone 10 g bovine serum albumin (Pentax Fraction V; Miles Laboratories) H2O to 500 ml Filter sterilize and store at -20 C in 25-ml aliquots
DEPC (diethylpyrocarbonate)-treated solutions
Add 0.2 ml DEPC to 100 ml of the solution to be treated. Shake vigorously to dissolve the DEPC. Autoclave the solution to inactivate the remaining DEPC.
CAUTION: Wear gloves and use a fume hood when using DEPC, as it is a suspected carcinogen.
Many investigators keep the solutions they use for RNA work separate to ensure that "dirty" pipets do not go into them.
Do not treat solutions containing Tris with DEPC, as Tris inactivates the DEPC.
DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium), supplemented
Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium, high-glucose formulation (see APPENDIX 2B; e.g., Life Technologies), containing:
5%, 10%, or 20% (v/v) FBS, heat inactivated (optional; see recipe below) 1% (v/v) nonessential amino acids 2 mM L-glutamine 100 U/ml penicillin 100 ug/ml streptomycin sulfate Filter sterilize if anything nonsterile has been added Store up to 1 month at 4 C
DMEM containing this set of additives is sometimes called "complete DMEM." The percentage of serum used is indicated after the medium name--e.g., "DMEM/5% FBS." Absence of a number indicates no serum is used. DMEM is also known as Dulbecco's minimum essential medium.
Ham's F-12 nutrient mixture (APPENDIX 2B; available commercially, e.g., from Life Technologies), is sometimes added to DMEM; the resulting medium is known as DMEM/F-
12.
Because of the higher bicarbonate content, DMEM requires ~10% CO2 to maintain pH 7.4.
Culture media containing glutamine and penicillin should be warmed to 37 C as few times as possible since components, especially glutamine, degrade rapidly at 37 C.
DPBS (Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline)
8.00 g NaCl (0.137 M)
0.20 g KCl (2.7 mM)
0.20 g KH2PO4 (1.1 mM)
1. 0.10 g MgCl2·6H2O (0.5 mM)
2. 2.16 g Na2HPO4·7H2O (8.1 mM)
0.10 g anhydrous CaCl2 (0.9 mM) H2O to 1 liter
DTT (dithiothreitol), 1 M
Dissolve 1.55 g DTT in 10 ml water and filter sterilize.
Store in aliquots at -20 C.
EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), 0.5 M (pH 8.0)
Dissolve 186.1 g disodium EDTA dihydrate in 700 ml water. Adjust pH to 8.0 with 10 M NaOH (~50 ml; add slowly). Add water to 1 liter and filter sterilize.
Begin titrating before the sample is completely dissolved. EDTA, even in the disodium salt form, is difficult to dissolve at this concentration unless the pH is increased to between 7 and
8.
Ethidium bromide, 10 mg/ml
Dissolve 0.2 g ethidium bromide in 20 ml H2O Mix well and store at 4 C in dark
CAUTION: Ethidium bromide is a mutagen and must be handled carefully.
FBS (fetal bovine serum)
Thaw purchased fetal bovine serum (shipped on dry ice and kept frozen until needed). Store 3 to 4 weeks at 4 C. If FBS is not to be used within this time, aseptically divide into smaller aliquots and refreeze until used. Store 1 year at -20 C. To heat inactivate FBS, heat serum 30 min to 1 hr in a 56 C water bath with periodic gentle swirling during the first 10 to 15 min to ensure uniform heating.
Repeated thawing and refreezing should be avoided, as it may cause denaturation of the serum.
Heat-inactivated FBS (FBS that has been treated with heat to inactivate complement protein and thus prevent an immunological reaction against cultured cells) is useful for a variety of purposes. It can be purchased commercially or made in the lab as described above.
HBSS (Hanks' balanced salt solution)
0.40 g KCl (5.4 mM final)
0.09 g Na2HPO4·7H2O (0.3 mM final)
1. 0.06 g KH2PO4 (0.4 mM final)
2. 0.35 g NaHCO3 (4.2 mM final)
0.14 g CaCl2 (1.3 mM final)
0.10 g MgCl2·6H2O (0.5 mM final)
1. 0.10 g MgSO4·7H2O (0.6 mM final)
2. 8.0 g NaCl (137 mM final)
1.0 g D-glucose (5.6 mM final)
0.2 g phenol red (0.02%; optional)
Add H2O to l liter and adjust pH to 7.4 with 1 M HCl or 1 M NaOH
Filter sterilize and store up to 1 month at 4 C
HBSS may be made or purchased without Ca2+ and Mg2+ (CMF-HBSS). These components are optional and usually have no effect on an experiment; in a few cases, however, their presence may be detrimental. Consult individual protocols to see if the presence or absence of these components is recommended.
Bottles should be kept tightly closed to prevent CO2 loss and subsequent alkalinization.
HCl, 1 M
Mix in the following order:
913.8 ml H2O
86.2 ml concentrated HCl
HeBS (HEPES-buffered saline) solution, 2x
16.4 g NaCl
11.9 g HEPES acid
0.21 g Na2HPO4 800 ml H2O Titrate to pH 7.05 with 5 M NaOH Add H2O to 1 liter Filter sterilize through a 0.45-um nitrocellulose filter Store in 50-ml aliquots at -20 C
If the solution is to be used for transfection, the pH should be between 7.05 and 7.12, and should be tested for transfection efficiency.
KCl, 1 M
74.6 g KCl H2O to 1 liter
LB medium
Per liter:
10 g tryptone 5 g yeast extract 5 g NaCl 1 ml 1 M NaOH Autoclave 25 min
Although the pH is adjusted to near 7 with NaOH, the medium is not very highly buffered, and the pH of a culture growing in the medium drops as the culture nears saturation.
The medium may also contain antibiotics (e.g., 50 ug/ml ampicillin, 12 ug/ml tetracycline), galactosides (e.g., 20 ug/ml Xgal, 0.1 mM IPTG), or other nutritional supplements added after the medium has been autoclaved.
To make LB agar for LB plates, add 15 g/liter agare.
MgCl2, 1 M
20.3 g MgCl2·6H2O H2O to 100 ml
MgSO4, 1 M
24.6 g MgSO4·7H2O H2O to 100 ml
MOPS buffer
1. 0.2 M MOPS [3-(N-morpholino)-propanesulfonic acid], pH 7.0
2. 0.5 M sodium acetate
0.01 M EDTA
Store in the dark and discard if it turns yellow
NaCl, 5 M
292 g NaCl H2O to 1 liter
NaOH, 10 M
Dissolve 400 g NaOH in 450 ml H2O Add H2O to 1 liter
PBS (phosphate-buffered saline)
10x stock solution, 1 liter:
80 g NaCl 2 g KCl 11.5 g Na2HPO4·7H2O 2 g KH2PO4
Working solution, pH ~7.3: 137 mM NaCl
1. 2.7 mM KCl
2. 4.3 mM Na2HPO4·7H2O
1. 1.4 mM KH2PO4
2. 8.00 g NaCl (0.137 M)
1. 0.20 g KCl (2.7 mM)
2. 0.24 g KH2PO4 (1.4 mM)
3. 1.44 g Na2HPO4 (0.01 M) H2O to 1 liter
PCR amplification buffer, 10x
500 mM KCl 100 mM Tris·Cl, pH 8.3 (see recipe below) x mM MgCl2 0.1% (w/v) gelatin Store in aliquots at -20 C
This solution can be sterilized by autoclaving. Alternatively, it can be made from sterile water and stock solutions, and the sterilization omitted.
15 mM MgCl2 is the concentration (x) used for most PCR reactions. However, the optimal concentration depends on the sequence and primer of interest and may have to be determined experimentally (see APPENDIX 3).
PMSF (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride), 100 mM
Dissolve 0.174 g PMSF in 10 ml of 100% ethanol, isopropanol, or methanol. Store in aliquots up to 2 years at -20 C.
CAUTION: Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride is toxic.
Make fresh dilutions from the alcohol stock for each use, because the half-life of PMSF in aqueous solution is <30 min at room temperature and a few hours on ice.
If PMSF is being added to a solution without detergent, the solution should be stirred vigorously during PMSF addition because PMSF has a tendency to form an insoluble precipitate in aqueous solution.
Polylysine-coated tissue culture surfaces
Prepare a stock solution by dissolving 100 mg polylysine in 100 ml water (poly-L-lysine or poly-D-lysine can be used; check specific protocol for choice of isomer) and filter sterilize through a 0.22-um filter. Store in 5-ml aliquots at -20 C. When ready to use, dilute 1 part stock solution with 19 parts water to prepare a 50 ug/ml working solution.
To coat culture dishes, multiwell plates, or chamber slides: Fill tissue culture dishes, multiwell plates, or slide wells with the working solution and incubate 1 hr in a 37 C incubator, then remove solution by vacuum aspiration and allow surface to dry.
To coat coverslips: Sterilize coverslips by autoclaving or by incubating them in 95% ethanol and drying before coating. Place coverslips in a single layer in a petri dish containing working solution and incubate 1 hr at 37 C. Remove coverslips using sterile forceps and allow surface to dry.
Store coated tissue culture ware up to 3 months at 4 C. Use diluted solutions only once.
Potassium acetate buffer, 0.1 M
Solution A: 11.55 ml glacial acetic acid per liter (0.2 M) in water.
Solution B: 19.6 g potassium acetate (KC2H3O2) per liter (0.2 M) in water.
Referring to Table A.2A.2 for desired pH, mix the indicated volumes of solutions A and B, then dilute with water to 100 ml. Filter sterilize if necessary. Store up to 3 months at room temperature.
This may be made as a 5-or 10-fold concentrate by scaling up the amount of sodium acetate in the same volume. Acetate buffers show concentration-dependent pH changes, so check the pH by diluting an aliquot of concentrate to the final concentration.
To prepare buffers with pH intermediate between the points listed in Table A.2A.2, prepare closest higher pH, then titrate with solution A.
Potassium phosphate buffer, 0.1 M
Solution A: 27.2 g KH2PO4 per liter (0.2 M final) in water.
Solution B: 34.8 g K2HPO4 per liter (0.2 M final) in water.
Referring to Table A.2A.3 for desired pH, mix the indicated volumes of solutions A and B, then dilute with water to 200 ml. Filter sterilize if necessary. Store up to 3 months at room temperature.
This buffer may be made as a 5-or 10-fold concentrate simply by scaling up the amount of potassium phosphate in the same final volume. Phosphate buffers show concentration-dependent changes in pH, so check the pH of the concentrate by diluting an aliquot to the final concentration.
To prepare buffers with pH intermediate between the points listed in Table A.2A.3, prepare closest higher pH, then titrate with solution A.
Saponin, 10% (w/v)
Dissolve 1 g saponin in 10 ml PBS (see recipe above) Store in 500-ul aliquots at -20 C
Once thawed, the 10% solution is stable for several months when stored at 4 C.
SDS, 20% (w/v)
Dissolve 20 g SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate) in H2O to 100 ml total volume with stirring. Filter sterilize using a 0.45-um filter.
It may be necessary to heat the solution slightly to fully dissolve the powder.
SDS electrophoresis buffer, 5x
1. 15.1 g Tris base
2. 72.0 g glycine
5.0 g SDS Distilled, deionized H2O to 1 liter Store up to 1 month at 0 to 4 C Dilute to 1x before use
Do not adjust the pH of the stock solution; the pH is 8.3 when diluted to 1x. Use purified SDS if appropriate.
SED (standard enzyme diluent)
20 mM Tris·Cl, pH 7.5 500 ug/ml bovine serum albumin (Pentax Fraction V) 10 mM -mercaptoethanol Store at 4 C for up to 1 month
Sodium acetate, 3 M
Dissolve 408 g sodium acetate trihydrate (NaC2H3O2·3H2O) in 800 ml H2O Adjust pH to 4.8, 5.0, or 5.2 (as desired) with 3 M acetic acid (see Table A.2A.1) Add H2O to 1 liter Filter sterilize
Sodium acetate buffer, 0.1 M
Solution A: 11.55 ml glacial acetic acid per liter (0.2 M) in water.
Solution B: 27.2 g sodium acetate (NaC2H3O2·3H2O) per liter (0.2 M) in water.
Referring to Table A.2A.2 for desired pH, mix the indicated volumes of solutions A and B, then dilute with water to 100 ml. Filter sterilize if necessary. Store up to 3 months at room temperature.
This may be made as a 5-or 10-fold concentrate by scaling up the amount of sodium acetate in the same volume. Acetate buffers show concentration-dependent pH changes, so check the pH by diluting an aliquot of concentrate to the final concentration.
To prepare buffers with pH intermediate between the points listed in Table A.2A.2, prepare closest higher pH, then titrate with solution A.
Sodium phosphate buffer, 0.1 M
Solution A: 27.6 g NaH2PO4·H2O per liter (0.2 M final) in water.
Solution B: 53.65 g Na2HPO4·7H2O per liter (0.2 M) in water.
Referring to Table A.2A.3 for desired pH, mix the indicated volumes of solutions A and B, then dilute with water to 200 ml. Filter sterilize if necessary. Store up to 3 months at room temperature.
This buffer may be made as a 5-or 10-fold concentrate by scaling up the amount of sodium phosphate in the same final volume. Phosphate buffers show concentration-dependent changes in pH, so check the pH by diluting an aliquot of the concentrate to the final concentration.
To prepare buffers with pH intermediate between the points listed in Table A.2A.3, prepare closest higher pH, then titrate with solution A.
SSC (sodium chloride/sodium citrate), 20x
3 M NaCl (175 g/liter)
0.3 M Na3citrate·2H2O (88 g/liter) Adjust pH to 7.0 with 1 M HCl
STE buffer
10 mM Tris·Cl, pH 7.5 10 mM NaCl 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0
TAE (Tris/acetate/EDTA) electrophoresis buffer
50x stock solution:
242 g Tris base
57.1 ml glacial acetic acid
37.2 g Na2EDTA·2H2O H2O to 1 liter
Working solution, pH ~8.5:
40 mM Tris·acetate 2 mM Na2EDTA·2H2O
TBE (Tris/borate/EDTA) electrophoresis buffer, 10x
108 g Tris base (890 mM)
55 g boric acid (890 mM)
960 ml H2O
40 ml 0.5 M EDTA, pH 8.0 (20 mM final; see recipe above)
TBS (Tris-buffered saline)
100 mM Tris·Cl, pH 7.5 (see recipe below)
0.9% (w/v) NaCl
Store up to several months at 4 C
TE (Tris/EDTA) buffer
10 mM Tris·Cl, pH 7.4, 7.5, or 8.0 (or other pH; see recipe below) 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0 (see recipe above)
TEA (triethanolamine) solution
50 mM triethanolamine, pH ~11.5 0.1% (v/v) Triton X-100
0.15 M NaCl
Add Triton X-100 as a 10% stock sterilized by Millipore filtration and stored in the dark to prevent photooxidation (stock is stable 5 years at room temperature). (see recipe below).
TEN (Tris/EDTA/NaCl) solution
40 mM Tris·Cl, pH 7.5 (see recipe below) 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0 (see recipe above) 150 mM NaCl
TM buffer, 10x
100 mM Tris·Cl, pH 8.0 100 mM MgCl2
Tris-buffered saline (TBS)
100 mM Tris·Cl, pH 7.5 (APPENDIX 2)
0.9% (w/v) NaCl (150 mM)
Store up to several months at 4 C
Tris·Cl, [tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane], 1 M
Dissolve 121 g Tris base in 800 ml H2O Adjust to desired pH with concentrated HCl Adjust volume to 1 liter with H2O Filter sterilize if necessary Store up to 6 months at 4 C or room temperature
Approximately 70 ml HCl is needed to achieve a pH 7.4 solution, and ~42 ml for a solution that is pH 8.0.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The pH of Tris buffers changes significantly with temperature, decreasing approximately 0.028 pH units per 1 C. Tris-buffered solutions should be adjusted to the desired pH at the temperature at which they will be used. Because the pKa of Tris is 8.08, Tris should not be used as a buffer below pH ~7.2 or above pH ~9.0.
Triton X-100, 10% (w/v)
1 g Triton X-100 H2O to 10 ml Stir to dissolve Filter sterilize through a 0.45-um filter Store protected from light up to 6 months at room temperature
TTBS (Tween 20/TBS)
Dissolve 0.1% (w/v) polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) in TBS (see recipe above). Store up to several months at 4 C.
