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Fractionation of Mammalian DNA by Zonal Centrifugation

Abstract

COMMONLY used isolation procedures for mammalian DNA invariably give a product possessing a wide distribution of sedimentation coefficients1,2. We are interested in reproducibly obtaining finely cut fractions of such heterogeneous samples of DNA in order to study the production of such distributions, with the problems of shear degradation reduced to a minimum. Schumaker, Richards and Freer3 described the fractionation of calf thymus DNA. Their technique using rate zonal centrifugation in tubes, however, has inherent disadvantages. Tubes are low in capacity, zones may be subject to convection or anomalous sedimentation4–6, and problems of shear degradation may arise during fractionation7.

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HALSALL, H., SCHUMAKER, V. Fractionation of Mammalian DNA by Zonal Centrifugation. Nature 221, 772–774 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/221772a0

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