Ethidium Bromide [EB; EtBr]

Ethidium bromide [EB, EtBr]: Ethidium bromide is a well-known and widely used fluorescent dye in biotechnology research. Early usage was as a veterinary trypanocide.14 It is a mutagenic compound which intercalates double-stranded DNA and RNA.1,10 The fluorescence of EtBr increases 21-fold upon binding to double-stranded RNA, 25-fold on binding double-stranded DNA (although histones block binding of EtBr to DNA). Ethidium bromide has been used in a number of fluorometric assays for nucleic acids.15,16,17 It has been shown to bind to single stranded DNA (although not as strongly)2 and triple stranded DNA.18 Because of the binding to DNA, EtBr is a powerful inhibitor of DNA polymerase.4 E7637, Molecular Biology grade powder, is suitable for use in gel electrophoresis and DNA isolation procedures. E-1510, Aqueous Solution (10 mg per ml), is suitable for use in gel electrophoresis and DNA isolation procedures. E1385, Molecular Biology grade Aqueous Solution (500 mg per ml), is suitable for use in gel electrophoresis.