Agarose

An agarose gel in a tray
used for gel electrophoresis

Agarose is a heteropolysaccharide, generally extracted from certain red algae.[1] It is a linear polymer made up of the repeating unit of agarobiose, which is a disaccharide made up of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactopyranose.[2][3] Agarose is one of the two principal components of agar, and is purified from agar by removing agar's other component, agaropectin.[4]

Agarose is frequently used in molecular biology for the separation of large molecules, especially DNA, by electrophoresis. Slabs of agarose gels (usually 0.7 - 2%) for electrophoresis are readily prepared by pouring the warm, liquid solution into a mold. A wide range of different agaroses of varying molecular weights and properties are commercially available for this purpose. Agarose may also be formed into beads and used in a number of chromatographic methods for protein purification.

  1. ^ Jeppsson JO, Laurell CB, Franzén B (April 1979). "Agarose gel electrophoresis". Clinical Chemistry. 25 (4): 629–38. doi:10.1093/clinchem/25.4.629. PMID 313856.
  2. ^ Akari C (1956). "Structure of the agarose component of agar-agar". Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan. 29 (4): 543–544. doi:10.1246/bcsj.29.543.
  3. ^ Agar Archived October 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine at lsbu.ac.uk Water Structure and Science
  4. ^ "Agar". Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.