Use of charged quinine sulfate or other precursors or derivatives of quinine alkaloids in visualization of nucleic acids

摘要

The present invention seeks to solve the problem of using a carcinogenic mutagen—ethidium bromide; to visualize nucleic acids in molecular biology and other related fields by intercalation of nucleic acids with ethidium bromide and exposure to UV light. The invention is a formulation containing a fluorophore; quinine sulfate or any such appropriate precursor or derivative of quinoline alkaloids at appropriate protonation and nucleic acid binding state that enables nucleic acid binding, electrophoresis and visualization of nucleic acid-fluorophore conjugate thereby eliminating the use of ethidium bromide.