TBE

From Molecular Biology Wiki

TBE is an acronym for Tris/Borate/EDTA, a buffer solution that consists of Tris base, boric acid, EDTA, and water.

In molecular biology, TBE and TAE are often used in procedures involving DNA, the most common being electrophoresis. Tris is an effective buffer for slightly basic solutions, which keeps DNA deprotonated and soluble in water. EDTA binds to divalent cations, particularly magnesium (Mg²⁺). These ions are necessary co-factors for many enzymes; Magnesium is a co-factor for many DNA-modifying enzymes.

Benefits of Using TBE for Electrophoresis

TBE has been shown to be beneficial for the running of small DNA fragments. ^[1]

So in general, TBE buffer is known to provide better resolution than TAE of fragments between 0.1-3 kb. TBE buffer is also preferred for electrophoresing at higher voltages, such as >150V.

TBE Buffer Recipe Preparation

1X TBE is commonly prepared from 10X TBE buffer stock solution.

Suppliers of TBE

Tris Borate EDTA (TBE) suppliers include: American Bioanalytical www.americanbio.com

References

1. ↑ Yutaka MIURA, Hiroaki WAKE, and Taiji KATO TBE, or not TBE; that is the question: Beneficial usage of tris-borate for obtaining a higher resolution of small DNA fragments by agarose gel electrophoresis. Nagoya Medical Journal 43(1) 1-6, 1999