Alkaline Transfer Buffer contains a strong base that denatures double-stranded DNA. This buffer allows the hydrolysis of the phosphodiester backbone at the sites of depurination during Southern blotting and as a result large DNAs are very efficiently transferred and covalently linked to the positively charged nylon membrane.
Alkaline Transfer Buffer is mainly used to transfer DNA from agarose gels to charged nylon
membranes by capillary method during Southern hybridization method. Alkaline Transfer Buffer contains a strong base that denatures double-stranded DNA. This buffer allows the hydrolysis of the phosphodiester backbone at the sites of depurination during Southern blotting and as a result allowing large DNAs to be very efficiently transferred and covalently linked to the positively charged nylon membrane.