Answer to Question #10211 in Molecular Biology for Karabo Monyama

Question

Explain where and how CaCl is used in molecular biology?

Answer 1

CaCl2 is used for preparation of competent cells for cell transfection in the molecular cloning. Escherichia coli treated with calcium chloride are able to take up DNA from bacteriophage lambda as well as plasmid DNA. Calcium chloride is thought to effect some structural alterations in the bacterial cell wall. It is used also in cells releasing using collagenase and in supplied buffers for Dnase I in order to remove unwanted DNA to improve protein or RNA extraction efficiency.