| Date: November 10, 1997 | Chart 1 |
In the long series of events inherent in automated DNA sequencing, cranking out DNA labeled with fluorescent tags is, of course, the most important element of a successful procedure. Without properly labeled sequence ladders to analyze, those expensive, automated DNA sequencers have little to do. So to keep them busy, LabConsumer checked out fluorescent automated DNA sequencing kits from eight manufacturers.The kits profiled exploit two methods for labeling sequencing products: the incorporation of fluorescent dye-labeled primers and the incorporation of dye-labeled dideoxynucleotides (ddNTPs), or dye terminators. The use of dye-labeled primers is the most common method because the modified forms of Taq and the other novel polymerases used in these kits discriminate against dye-labeled ddNTPs and are unable to efficiently incorporate them into the reaction products. Expressly engineered polymerases, on the other hand, such as ABI's AmpliTaq DNA Polymerase, FS and Amersham's Thermo ...
