GC-RICH PCR System by Merck – Reliable Amplification of Difficult Templates for Molecular Biology

Amplifying GC-rich or complex DNA templates can be a significant challenge in molecular biology and functional genomics. The GC-RICH PCR System by Merck is engineered to overcome such difficulties, offering reliable amplification of tough targets. This product page outlines its unique blend of proofreading polymerase and Taq DNA Polymerase, and explains how this combination provides high accuracy and robust performance for demanding PCR applications.

Why Choose the GC-RICH PCR System

• Successful amplification of difficult templates: Supports PCR of templates that are difficult or impossible to amplify with other polymerases or other blends of polymerases and additives.
• Reliable performance on challenging targets: Amplifies difficult templates including GC-rich targets and repetitive sequences.
• Support for larger fragments: Amplifies DNA fragments up to 5 kb.
• Higher accuracy than Taq: Provides 3x accuracy vs. Taq.
• Reliable analytical performance: Provides robust amplification performance that supports demanding PCR applications.
• Proven GC-rich template amplification: Amplified a 264 bp template with 74% GC content within the human ApoE gene with high specificity and yield.

What’s Included and How It’s Built

• Polymerase Blend: Blend of a proofreading polymerase and Taq DNA Polymerase.
• Resolution Component: GC-RICH Resolution Solution included as part of the system to improve amplification of GC-rich and structurally complex templates.
• Water Component: PCR Grade Water supplied with the system.
• Reagent Format: Available as GC-RICH PCR System with Enzyme + Buffer.
• Pack Configuration: Catalog number 12 140 306 001 provides 100 U for up to 50 reactions of 50 µl final volume, each containing 2 U enzyme blend.
• dNTP Format: Available as GC-RICH PCR System, dNTPack with Enzyme + Buffer + dNTP Set.
• Molecular Cloning Note: TA cloning is preferred over blunt-end cloning due to the A-overhangs typically generated by the Taq DNA Polymerase component.

Technical Specifications

• Amplicon size: up to 5 kb
• Accuracy vs. Taq: 3x
• Units per 50 µl: 2
• Carryover prevention: no
• Sensitivity: High sensitivity for low-copy targets (qualitative description; refer to Merck datasheet for detailed performance data).
• Specificity: Optimized for specific amplification when used under recommended conditions (see Merck protocol for guidance).

Applications and Usage of the GC-RICH PCR System

• Difficult template PCR: PCR assays where standard polymerases or conventional additives fail to provide sufficient yield.
• GC-rich targets: Amplification of templates with high GC content that require dedicated GC-RICH reagents.
• Repetitive sequences: Amplification of templates containing repetitive or low-complexity regions that are prone to secondary structure formation.
• Fragment length: Suitable for amplification of DNA fragments up to 5 kb within the recommended protocol.
• Usage note: Use the supplied PCR Grade Water and optimized reagents, including the GC-RICH Resolution Solution.

Products in the GC-RICH PCR System Range

Chemical Express, with over 23 years of expertise, is the official distributor of Merck products in Thailand. Explore and order the GC-RICH PCR System and related PCR solutions from Chemical Express to enhance your GC-rich and difficult-template PCR applications with confidence.