Terbium identifies double-stranded RNA on gels by quenching the fluorescence of intercalated ethidium bromide.
We report that the lanthanide cation terbium quenches the fluorescence of ethidium bromide bound to double-stranded RNA by 40-fold, whereas the quenching of double-stranded and single-stranded DNA is under 2.5-fold and the quenching of single-stranded RNA is under 5-fold. This observation was used to develop a convenient method of detecting dsRNA among other nucleic acids in an agarose or polyacrylamide gel. The sensitivity of the method is approximately 4 ng/mm2.
Al-Hakeem
M
M
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic/Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
Sommer
S S
SS
D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004996:Ethidium; D005453:Fluorescence; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000032:analysis*; D013725:Terbium
D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D013725:Terbium; D004996:Ethidium