polyethylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide

[gc]

In article <97Apr9.133612edt.35721 at firewall.cedarcrest.edu>,
100 at cedarcrest.edu, College at cedarcrest.edu, Drive at cedarcrest.edu wrote:

< I received a protocol for bacterial transformation.  The solution used
< for competence contained polyethylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide.  I
< was wondering if anyone knows why these reagents are included in the
< protocol.  What do they do to enhance competence and transformation?
< Thank you,
< Susan Walsh
< sjwalsh at cedarcrest.edu

   DMSO helps to carry molecules across cell membranes.  It's used
   in things like nicotine patches.  PEG is probably there to act
   as a thickener.  It increases the effective concentration of solutes.
   Those are my guesses.

--gc

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