TopTaq Master Mix Kit has been developed by QIAGEN to provide highly reliable end-point PCR with unrivaled ease of use. Until the development of the TopTaq PCR system, all PCR enzymes required storage at –20°C. Due to the unique proprietary TopTaq Stabilizer contained in the enzyme storage buffer, TopTaq Master Mix Kit is the first PCR kit that can be stored at 4°C. This ready-to-use master mix format ensures greater convenience. High yields of specific products are achieved due to TopTaq DNA Polymerase, even when amplifying fragments of different sizes (see figure " High PCR product yields without optimization").
TopTaq PCR Buffer
The innovative TopTaq PCR Buffer facilitates the amplification of specific PCR products. During the annealing step of every PCR cycle, the buffer greatly increases the ratio of specific primer binding over nonspecific primer binding. Owing to a uniquely balanced combination of KCl and (NH4)2SO4, the PCR buffer provides stringent primer-annealing conditions over a wider range of temperatures and Mg2+ concentrations than conventional PCR buffers (see figure " Increased specificity of primer annealing"). The need to optimize PCR by varying the annealing temperature or the Mg2+ concentration is dramatically reduced, or often not required.
TopTaq Stabilizer
TopTaq Stabilizer binds to TopTaq DNA Polymerase, preventing polymerase inactivation during long-term storage (see figure " Stabilization at 4°C"). Template DNA and primers are also prevented from binding to the polymerase at low temperatures. During the initial denaturation step, TopTaq Stabilizer freely dissociates from the polymerase without compromising polymerase activity.
CoralLoad Concentrate
For enhanced convenience, TopTaq Master Mix Kit includes CoralLoad Concentrate. CoralLoad Concentrate contains a gel-loading reagent and two gel-tracking dyes. This unique reagent improves pipetting visibility and facilitates estimation of DNA migration distance and optimization of agarose gel run time. When using CoralLoad Concentrate, PCR products can be directly loaded onto an agarose gel without prior addition of loading buffer (see figure " Convenient CoralLoad Concentrate").