Role of EDTA in Magnesium-containing buffers

[Richard Miller]

EDTA is added to Mg2+ buffers to chelate any heavy metal ions present.  Look
at the association constants for the different metals and EDTA and you will
see there are several that bind much tighter than Mg2+.

Rich Miller

in article 000a01c10476$108ccec0$995e6f83 at cam.ac.uk, "Patrick Lynch" at
pl229 at medschl.cam.ac.uk wrote on 7/4/01 6:48 AM:

> Hi all,
> 
> What's the point of having 1 mM EDTA in a buffer containing 10 mM magnesium?
> Surely the role of EDTA is to chealate free Mg2+?  Does MgEDTA have some
> inhibitory effect on enzyme activity as well?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Patrick
> 
> ---