SYBR® Safe - 1030826-36-8

Key Functions: Pharmaceuticals

SYBR® Safe is a fluorescent nucleic acid stain that contains a cyanine-based cationic core structure identical to the thiazole orange dye (CAS # 107091-89-4). It differs from thiazole orange by having a propyl group instead of a methyl group substitution at the quinolinium ring nitrogen (Evenson et al. 2012). Therefore, it is expected to bind to double stranded DNA the same way as thiazole orange, which stacks between bases as a monomer and binds externally as a dimer (Nygren et al. 1998). Based on the structure of thiazole orange, it is deduced that SYBR® Safe is also a 1:1 salt of 4- methylbenzenesulfonic acid (CAS # 104-15-4) (ChemIDplus 2014). SYBR® Safe is marketed in different sizes, concentrations and solvents. A product MSDS of SYBR® Safe in 0.5x Tris/ Borate/EDTA (TBE) buffer indicates that it contains 0.1 – 1.0% SYBR® Safe (Life Technologies 2012a). An MSDS of the 10,000X concentrate in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) indicates that it also contains SYBR® Safe at 0.1 – 1% (Life Technologies 2012b). ToxServices assumes that the 10,000 X concentrate is the most concentrated form of SYBR® Safe on the market.

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