Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis

Methods Mol Biol. 2016:1373:117-30. doi: 10.1007/7651_2014_191.

Abstract

Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) is a powerful genotyping technique used for the separation of large DNA molecules (entire genomic DNA) after digesting it with unique restriction enzymes and applying to a gel matrix under the electric field that periodically changes direction. PFGE is a variation of agarose gel electrophoresis that permits analysis of bacterial DNA fragments over an order of magnitude larger than that with conventional restriction enzyme analysis. It provides a good representation of the entire bacterial chromosome in a single gel with a highly reproducible restriction profile, providing clearly distinct and well-resolved DNA fragments.

Keywords: Genomic DNA; Genotyping technique; Pulse field gel electrophoresis; Restriction enzyme.

MeSH terms

  • Chromosomes, Bacterial / genetics*
  • DNA / genetics
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / methods*
  • Genotype

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes