Wizard SV Gel and PCR Clean Up System Protocol
Wizard SV Gel and PCR Clean Up System Protocol
Wizard SV Gel and PCR Clean Up System Protocol
Revised 8/19
TB308
Wizard® SV Gel and
PCR Clean-Up System
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1. Description.......................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Product Components and Storage Conditions......................................................................................... 3
3. General Considerations........................................................................................................................ 4
4. Gel Slice and PCR Product Preparation.................................................................................................. 4
4.A. Preparing the Membrane Wash Solution....................................................................................... 4
4.B. Dissolving the Gel Slice................................................................................................................ 5
4.C. Processing PCR Amplification Products......................................................................................... 6
5. DNA Purification................................................................................................................................. 6
5.A. DNA Purification by Centrifugation............................................................................................... 6
5.B. DNA Purification by Vacuum........................................................................................................ 7
6. Troubleshooting.................................................................................................................................. 9
7. References......................................................................................................................................... 11
8. Appendix........................................................................................................................................... 11
8.A. Composition of Buffers and Solutions.......................................................................................... 11
8.B. Related Products....................................................................................................................... 12
8.C. Summary of Change................................................................................................................... 12
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1. Description
The Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System is designed to extract and purify DNA fragments of 100bp to 10kb
from standard or low-melt agarose gels in either Tris acetate (TAE) or Tris borate (TBE), or to purify PCR products
directly from a PCR amplification. Up to 95% recovery is achieved depending upon the DNA fragment size (Table 1).
PCR products are commonly purified to remove excess nucleotides and primers. This membrane-based system, which
can bind up to 40µg DNA, allows recovery of isolated DNA fragments or PCR products in as little as 20 minutes,
depending on the number of samples processed and the protocol used. The purified DNA can be used for automated
fluorescent DNA sequencing, cloning, labeling, restriction enzyme digestion or in vitro transcription/translation
without further manipulation.
The Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System is based on the ability of DNA to bind to silica membranes in the
presence of chaotropic salts. After electrophoresis to separate the DNA fragments, the band(s) of interest is excised and
dissolved in the presence of guanidine isothiocyanate (Membrane Binding Solution). Alternatively, after amplification,
an aliquot of the PCR is added to the Membrane Binding Solution and directly purified. The system allows a choice of
methods for isolation of DNA from the dissolved agarose gel slice or PCR amplification. DNA can be isolated using
microcentrifugation to force the dissolved gel slice or PCR product through the membrane while simultaneously
binding the DNA on the surface of the silica (Section 5.A). After washing the isolated DNA fragment or PCR product,
the DNA is eluted in water. Another option is pulling the dissolved gel or PCR product through the SV Minicolumn and
washing the DNA fragment using vacuum pressure (Section 5.B). The Vacuum Adapters allow the use of a vacuum
manifold (e.g., Vac-Man® Laboratory Vacuum Manifold, 20-sample capacity [Cat.# A7231], or Vac-Man® Jr. Laboratory
Vacuum Manifold, 2-sample capacity [Cat.# A7660]). The Vacuum Adapters (Cat. # A1331) are only supplied with
Cat.# A9280, Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System, 10 preps, but may be purchased separately.
The Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System can be used with linear DNA fragments, supercoiled plasmid DNA or
single-stranded linear or circular DNA. Expected yields with single-stranded DNA are lower than for double-stranded
DNA.
Table 1. Percent Recovery Versus Double-Stranded DNA Fragment Size. PCR products (55–1,000bp),
linearized pGEM®-3Zf(+) plasmid (3,199bp), or Lambda HindIII fragments (9,416bp and 23,130bp) were purified
in triplicate from a 1% agarose gel slice in 1X TAE buffer and quantified by ethidium bromide staining.
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2. Product Components and Storage Conditions
PRODUCT S I Z E C A T. #
PRODUCT S I Z E C A T. #
PRODUCT S I Z E C A T. #
PRODUCT S I Z E C A T. #
Storage Conditions: Store all components at room temperature (22–25°C). No refrigeration is required. Keep
Membrane Binding Solution protected from light. See expiration date on product label.
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3. General Considerations
Agarose, a linear polymer extracted from seaweed, is commonly used for electrophoretic separation of nucleic acids.
Standard agarose melts at 87–89°C and solidifies at 36–39°C. In low-melt agarose, hydroxyethyl groups have been
introduced into the polysaccharide chain, resulting in an agarose that both melts and solidifies at much lower
temperatures (65°C and 24–28°C, respectively). Low-melt agarose is often used for applications that require recovery
of intact DNA fragments from the gel after electrophoresis. The Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System can be
used to recover DNA from either standard or low-melt agarose gels with no changes to the protocol or differences in
recovery (Section 5).
Standard safety apparel should be worn, especially when handling ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels. This
includes gloves and a UV-blocking face shield to protect the eyes and face from UV light. When excising the gel band,
work quickly to minimize personal exposure to UV light and to minimize nicking of the DNA (1–4).
The Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System is compatible with PCR products generated using a variety of
amplification enzymes, buffers or PCR-enhancing additives. Mineral oil does not interfere with purification.
Table 2. Volume of 95% Ethanol to Add to Membrane Wash Solution for Each System Size.
Part Number of
System Size Membrane Wash Solution Volume of 95% Ethanol
10 preps A929A 15ml
50 preps A929B 75ml
250 preps A929C 375ml
1,000 preps 4 × A929C 4 × 375ml
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4.B. Dissolving the Gel Slice
1. Load and run the gel using an established protocol. DNA can be extracted from standard or low-melt agarose gels
run with either TAE or TBE buffer.
2. Weigh a 1.5ml microcentrifuge tube for each DNA fragment to be isolated and record the weight.
3. Visualize and photograph the DNA using a long-wavelength UV lamp and an intercalating dye such as ethidium
bromide. To reduce nicking, irradiate the gel for the absolute minimum time possible (1–4). Excise the DNA
fragment of interest in a minimal volume of agarose using a clean scalpel or razor blade. Transfer the gel slice to
the weighed microcentrifuge tube and record the weight. Subtract the weight of the empty tube from the total
weight to obtain the weight of the gel slice (Notes 1–3 below).
Note: The gel slice may be stored at 4°C or at –20°C for up to one week in a tightly closed tube under nuclease-
free conditions before purification.
4. Add Membrane Binding Solution at a ratio of 10µl of solution per 10mg of agarose gel slice.
5. Vortex the mixture (Note 4) and incubate at 50–65°C for 10 minutes or until the gel slice is completely
dissolved. Vortex the tube every few minutes to increase the rate of agarose gel melting. Centrifuge the tube
briefly at room temperature to ensure the contents are at the bottom of the tube. Once the agarose gel is melted,
the gel will not resolidify at room temperature.
6. To purify the DNA using a microcentrifuge, proceed to Section 5.A. To purify the DNA using a vacuum manifold,
proceed to Section 5.B.
Notes:
1. Recovery from 1% high-melting-point agarose is comparable to that from 1–2% low-melting-point agarose.
High-melting-point agarose concentrations of up to 3% have been tested. Gel slices with higher agarose
concentrations (2–3%) may require a longer time to melt completely than a 1% agarose gel slice and may show
reduced yields.
2. The maximum capacity of the column is 350mg of gel mass dissolved in 350µl of Membrane Binding Solution per
column pass. For gel slices >350mg, continue to pass additional sample through the SV Minicolumn until all of
the sample has been processed. The maximal amount of agarose that can be processed through a single column is
approximately 3.5g (10 × 350mg) total.
3. The maximum binding capacity of the column is approximately 40µg per column, and as little as 10ng has been
successfully purified.
4. DNA fragments that are larger than 5kb should be mixed gently to prevent shearing. Do not vortex if DNA
fragment is larger than 5kb; mix by inversion.
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4.C. Processing PCR Amplification Products
1. Amplify target of choice using standard amplification conditions.
2. Add an equal volume of Membrane Binding Solution to the PCR amplification (Notes 1–4 below).
3. To purify the DNA using a microcentrifuge, proceed to Section 5.A. To purify the DNA using a vacuum manifold,
proceed to Section 5.B.
Notes:
1. The maximal capacity of a single SV Minicolumn is approximately 1ml of PCR amplification added to 1ml of
Membrane Binding Solution (2ml total). For PCR volumes >350µl, continue to pass the sample through the
column until all of the sample has been processed.
2. The maximum binding capacity is approximately 40µg per column, and as little as 10ng has been successfully
purified.
3. Mineral oil does not interfere with purification.
4. For amplification reactions that do not produce a single product or where amplification has been inefficient and
there is highly visible primer dimer, gel purification of the band of interest is recommended. Alternatively, an
80% ethanol wash solution can be substituted for the supplied Membrane Wash Solution to reduce primer-dimer
carryover.
5. DNA Purification
Prepare the gel slice or PCR product as described in Section 4. Use either the centrifugation procedure (Section 5.A) or
the vacuum procedure (Section 5.B) to recover the DNA from the dissolved gel slice or PCR amplification. After the
procedure is completed, the DNA may be used in downstream applications.
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4. Wash the column by adding 700µl of Membrane Wash Solution, previously diluted with 95% ethanol
(Section 4.A), to the SV Minicolumn. Centrifuge the SV Minicolumn assembly for 1 minute at 16,000 × g
(14,000rpm). Empty the Collection Tube as before, and place the SV Minicolumn back in the Collection Tube.
Repeat the wash with 500µl of Membrane Wash Solution, and centrifuge the SV Minicolumn assembly for
5 minutes at 16,000 × g.
5. Remove the SV Minicolumn assembly from the centrifuge, being careful not to wet the bottom of the column
with the flowthrough. Empty the Collection Tube, and recentrifuge the column assembly for 1 minute to
evaporate any residual ethanol.
6. Carefully transfer the SV Minicolumn to a clean 1.5ml microcentrifuge tube. Apply 50µl of Nuclease-Free Water
directly to the center of the column without touching the membrane with the pipette tip. Incubate at room
temperature for 1 minute. Centrifuge for 1 minute at 16,000 × g (14,000rpm).
7. Discard the SV Minicolumn, and store the microcentrifuge tube containing the eluted DNA at 4°C or –20°C.
Note: The volume of the eluted DNA will be approximately 42–47µl. If the DNA needs to be further
concentrated, perform an ethanol precipitation. Alternatively, the DNA may be eluted in as little as 15µl of
Nuclease-Free Water without significant reduction in yield. If using an elution volume of 15µl, verify that the
membrane is completely covered with Nuclease-Free Water before centrifugation. Elution volumes less than 15µl
are not recommended (Table 3).
1 Inch Hg 15 Inches Hg
3.386kPa 50.8kPa
25.4Torr 381Torr
0.0334atm 0.501atm
0.491psi 7.37psi
2.54cm Hg 38.1cm Hg
33.86mbar 508mbar
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5.B. DNA Purification by Vacuum (continued)
3. Wash the column by adding 700µl Membrane Wash Solution previously diluted with 95% ethanol (Section 4.A)
to the SV Minicolumn. Make sure any droplets remaining on the sides of the SV Minicolumn from the last step
are washed away. Apply a vacuum to pull the liquid through the SV Minicolumn. Repeat this wash a second time
with 500µl of Membrane Wash Solution.
4. Turn off the vacuum source and open an unused port to vent the manifold. Remove the SV Minicolumn from the
vacuum manifold and transfer to a Collection Tube. Centrifuge the SV Minicolumn assembly for 5 minutes at
16,000 × g (14,000rpm) to remove any remaining Membrane Wash Solution.
5. Empty the Collection Tube and recentrifuge the column assembly for 1 minute with the microcentrifuge lid open
(or off) to allow evaporation of any residual ethanol.
6. Carefully transfer the SV Minicolumn to a clean 1.5ml microcentrifuge tube, being careful not to wet the bottom
of the SV Minicolumn with the flowthrough. Apply 50µl of Nuclease-Free Water directly to the center of the
column without contacting the membrane. Incubate at room temperature for 1 minute. Centrifuge for 1 minute
at 16,000 × g (14,000rpm).
7. Discard the SV Minicolumn, and store the microcentrifuge tube containing the eluted DNA at 4°C or –20°C.
Note: The volume of the eluted DNA will be approximately 42–47µl. If the DNA needs to be further
concentrated, perform an ethanol precipitation. Alternatively, the DNA may be eluted in as little as 15µl of
Nuclease-Free Water without a significant reduction in yield. If using an elution volume of 15µl, verify that the
membrane is completely covered with Nuclease-Free Water before centrifugation. Elution volumes less than
15µl are not recommended (Table 3).
Table 3. Percent Recovery Versus Elution Volume. A 700bp PCR product was directly purified in triplicate and
quantified by ethidium bromide staining.
Percent Recovery
Elution Volume Compared to 50µl
10µl 35%
15µl 98%
25µl 98%
50µl 100%
75µl 100%
100µl 100%
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TB308 · Revised 8/19 www.promega.com
6. Troubleshooting
For questions not addressed here, please contact your local Promega Branch Office or Distributor. Contact information
available at: www.promega.com. E-mail: techserv@promega.com
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6. Troubleshooting (continued)
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7. References
1. Zimmermann, M., Veeck, J. and Wolf, K. (1998) Minimizing the exposure to UV light when extracting DNA from
agarose gels. BioTechniques 25, 586.
2. Hengen, P. (1997) Methods and reagents. Protecting vector DNA from UV light. Trends Biochem. Sci. 22,
182–3.
3. Grundemann, D. and Schomig, E. (1996) Protection of DNA during preparative agarose gel electrophoresis
against damage induced by ultraviolet light. BioTechniques 21, 898–903.
4. Cariello, N.F. et al. (1988) DNA damage produced by ethidium bromide staining and exposure to ultraviolet
light. Nucl. Acids Res. 16, 4157.
8. Appendix
1X TE buffer
10mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5)
1mM EDTA (pH 8.0)
1X TBE buffer
89mM Tris base
89mM boric acid
2mM EDTA (pH 8.0)
1X TAE buffer
40mM Tris base
5mM sodium acetate
1mM EDTA (pH 8.0)
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8.B. Related Products
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TB308 · Revised 8/19 www.promega.com
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