HotStarTaq Plus DNA Polymerase (1000)

A hot-start DNA polymerase from QIAGEN combines the specificity and minimal optimization of HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase with a fast 5-minute activation. The enzyme is supplied inactive and has no polymerase activity at ambient temperatures, preventing extension of nonspecifically annealed primers and primer-dimers during PCR setup. Activation requires a 5 min incubation at 95°C.

The kit includes QIAGEN PCR Buffer and CoralLoad PCR Buffer, both using a balanced combination of KCl and (NH4)2SO4 for stringent primer annealing across a range of annealing temperatures and Mg2+ concentrations. CoralLoad Buffer contains an orange dye and a red dye, allowing direct loading of PCR products onto an agarose gel without adding a separate loading buffer; it must not be used in capillary sequencers. Q-Solution, a separate additive, modifies DNA melting behavior to facilitate amplification of GC-rich or secondary-structure-rich templates without compromising PCR fidelity.

Specifications: 5 units/µl concentration; 2–4 kb/min extension rate at 72°C; half-life 10 min at 97°C and 60 min at 94°C; ≥10^5 fold amplification efficiency. The enzyme has 5'→3' exonuclease activity, adds a single A overhang, and lacks contaminating nucleases, RNases, proteases, and self-priming activity. Applications include PCR, RT-PCR, complex genomic templates, and very low-copy targets using genomic DNA or cDNA. The recommended reaction contains 2.5 units of enzyme per 100 µl reaction with a final MgCl2 concentration of 1.5 mM. Store at –30 to –15°C.