The Southern blot. An update

This article is devoted to the recent advances made in the Southern blotting technique, which is used for the detection of gel-fractionated DNA molecules following transfer to a membrane. The latest practical improvements made to the techniques of Southern blotting, probe labeling, and hybridization are discussed. Among the most significant advances are: new membranes, transfer methods, probe labeling, and rapid hybridization. Detailed protocols show the application of these improvements in this widely used technique.