Not available outside of the UK & Ireland.

Application

Chromogenic substrate for β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene detection.

Suitable for use in selection of recombinant bacterial colonies with the lac⁺ phenotype.X-GlcA has been used in histochemical staining of root sections for light microscopic observation.

General description

X-GlcA is a chromogenic substrate for β-galactosidase, used to determine the presence or absence of a cloned DNA insert in bacteria growing on agar plates. X-GlcA is designed to replace X-Gal in blue-white selection of recombinant bacterial colonies with the lac+ phenotype.

Principle

When X-GlcA is hydrolyzed by β-galactosidase, the resulting product will form a blue precipitate. Lac+ colonies grown in the presence of X-GlcA turn an intense blue color, allowing for easy differentiation between lac+ and lac- colonies.