In Southern Blotting what is Nitrocellulose paper used for A

In Southern Blotting, what is Nitrocellulose paper used for? And Why does DNA stick to Nitrocellulose paper?

Solution

Answer:

The Nitrocellulose paper is used as a substrate for immobilizing nucleic acids in Southern Blotting. It adsorbs proteins at a high level.

The nitrocellulose paper is negatively charged. Hence it adsorbs proteins at a high level as most proteins have a net positive charge. Thus nitrocellulose paper is ideal for immobilizing proteins. DNA is negatively charged due to the phosphate backbone and will not stick to the nitrocellulose on its own. Since the nitrocellulose paper is ideal for immobilizing proteins, any DNA that has been bound by protein will stick to it.