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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Determining if DNA Stained with a Cyanine Dye Can Be Digested with Restriction Enzymes
Published on: February 2, 2018
[Study on the chemical reaction of DNA with Congo red]
Yan-hua Chi1, Jia Zhuang, Qi-bin Xue
1Department of Material Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621002, China.
Abstract:
The interaction of deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA) and Congo red (GGH) was investigated by UV-Vis spectrophotometry in Tris-HCl solution (pH 4.56). When DNA was added into GGH solution, the color of the system changed from red to purple, which indicated the formation of the DNA-GGH complex. The maximum absorption of the complex is at 600 nm. The molar absorptivity measured at this wavelength epsilon = 1.41 x 10(5) L x cm(-1) mol(-1), the maximum binding number is n = 32, and the detection limit is c = 8.04 x 10(-8) mol x L(-1). The basic reaction condition of best pH value, time, and temperature, and the interference of different materials on the system were also studied. The ionic strength could affect the absorption of the system. The interaction of small molecule and DNA, the molecule structure, and the relationship between the molecule conformation and the distribution of electron cloud were studied.

