MES hydrate

MES hydrate buffer (2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid monohydrate) is a versatile zwitterionic biological buffer widely utilized in molecular biology and cell culture applications. With a pKa of 6.1, it′s the ideal choice for buffering solutions at physiological pH, ensuring precise and reliable results. This buffer′s high water solubility and minimal metal ion binding make it a top choice for various applications, including molecular biology tasks such as DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. It′s also a key player in cell culture, offering a less toxic alternative to Tris and phosphate buffers.

Beyond these applications, MES hydrate buffer is widely used in regulating pH in plant culture media, reagent solutions, and physiological experiments. It′s the preferred choice for studying the effects of pH on enzymatic reactions and investigating the interactions of proteins and other biomolecules with metal ions. As a Good′s buffer, MES hydrate meets stringent criteria of having a midrange pKa, maximum water solubility, minimal solubility in other solvents, minimal salt effects, stability across different temperatures, chemical and enzymatic stability, minimal absorption in the visible and UV spectral range, and ease of synthesis. Furthermore, it does not form complexes with most metal ions, ensuring reliable outcomes in applications involving metal ions.

MES Hydrate has been used:

• To suspend cells before autophagic induction studies
• In the preparation of Murashige and Skoog growth medium for the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings
• In the conjugation of hybridization probes to beads before PCR amplification
• To treat fibroblast-derived matrix before conjugation with heparin for use as a vascular endothelial growth factor delivery platform
• as a wash buffer in a study about molecular biology
• as a component of culture media

A buffer using MES can be prepared by titrating with NaOH to the desired pH. Alternatively, stock solutions of MES and MES sodium salt can be mixed to attain the desired pH. Standard mixing tables using stock solutions to prepare buffers of a given pH have been published. MES is not recommended for buffering at pH 7.4; other buffers should be considered.

Solutions are stable at 2-8°C for months. Sterilize by filtration through 0.2uM filters. Autoclaving is not recommended for any sulfonic acid buffer. If buffers must be nuclease-free, treat the water first, and then add the buffer after autoclaving. When MES solutions are autoclaved, they turn yellow (although pH does not change measurably). The identity of the yellow breakdown product is unknown.

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