BIO 577: PCR of Plasmid Preps Lab
Overview
In this course, you are getting a true representation of how molecular biology works (or
doesn’t work!). To date, we have prepared nutritive media, grown Arabidopsis seedlings,
extracted RNA from those seedlings, performed RT-PCR, purified the RT-PCR reactions,
and have attempted to clone that purified fragment. In the last lab we purified the plasmid
that should have contained our P2B cDNA sequence as an insert. We have yet to confirm
that we actually cloned the P2B sequence. In today’s lab we perform PCR on the purified
plasmid, in an attempt to confirm that P2B has been cloned.
We will follow the protocol from QIAGEN for setting up the PCR.
Protocol
1. Thaw 10x QIAGEN PCR Buffer, dNTP mix, and primer solutions.
Keep the solutions on ice after complete thawing. Mix well before use to avoid
localized differences in salt concentration.
2. Prepare a master mix according to Table 1:
The master mix typically contains all of the components needed for PCR except
the template DNA. Prepare a volume of master mix 10% greater than that
required for the total number of PCR assays to be performed. A negative control
(without template DNA) should be included in every experiment.
Table 1. Reaction composition using Taq DNA Polymerase
Component
Master mix
10x QIAGEN PCR Buffer*
dNTP mix (10 mM each)
Primer A
Primer B
Taq DNA Polymerase
Distilled water
Template DNA
Template DNA,
added at step 4
Total volume
* Contains 15 mM MgCl2
Volume/reaction
Final concentration
5 µl
1 µl
Variable
Variable
0.25 µl
Variable
1x
200 µM of each dNTP
0.1–0.5 µM
0.1–0.5 µM
2.5 units/reaction
–
Variable
< 1 µg/reaction
50 µl
–
3. Mix the master mix thoroughly, and dispense appropriate volumes into PCR
tubes.
Mix gently, for example, by pipetting the master mix up and down a few times. It
is recommended that PCR tubes are kept on ice before placing in the thermal
cycler.
4. Add template DNA (< 1 µg/reaction) to the individual tubes containing the master
mix.
5. Program the thermal cycler according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
For maximum yield and specificity, temperatures and cycling times should be
optimized for each new target or primer pair.
6. Prepare a 1% agarose gel, to be used in the next lab section to analyze your PCR.
Protocol