Deionized Formamide - A Mystery?

[Dr. David J. Meyer]

What happens when formamide is deamidated? Answer: you get formic acid
and ammonia!

JKGH at LELA.COM (GH) wrote:

>Hi, I'm not sure exactly why it is important. It is probably to remove
>other ions. The RNA loading buffer is at least 50% formamide so it is the
>major componnent. I do know if you do not use deionized formamide than you
>do not completely denature your RNA as detected on the gel. The RNA will
>look degraded sort of. It will run as a smear from the well to the bottom
>and needless to say it will not work in a northern. Hope this helps. gregg

>In article <6khams$r1s at mserv1.dl.ac.uk>, wgschech at med.uni-tuebingen.de wrote:

>> Hi all, 
>> 
>> Why is it so important for formamide to be deionized? Especially when 
>> it is used in buffers normally containing tons of ions?
>> Are there ionic decomposition products - ammonium ions and so on? 
>> How will these products affect RNA?
>> 
>> All input is welcome!
>> 
>> Wolfgang
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----
>> usual disclaimers apply * This message is RNAse free - please don't touch!
>> -----                              
>> Wolfgang Schechinger         
>> University of Tuebingen, Germany
>> email: wgschech at med.uni-tuebingen.de * wwWait:
>http://www.medizin.uni-tuebingen.de/~wgschech/start.htm
>> -------

Dr. David J. Meyer
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