Description
General description
Bluo-Gal 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. Bluo-Gal is designed to replace X-Gal in blue-white selection of recombinant bacterial colonies with the lac+ phenotype.
Application
Chromogenic substrate suitable for identification of lac⁺ bacterial colonies. An alternative to 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl β-D-galactopyranoside (X-Gal), producing a darker blue color.
Bluo-Gal is suitable for use in selection of recombinant bacterial colonies with the lac⁺ phenotype. Bluo-Gal is suitable for use as β-galactosidase substrate in the staining of skin tissues for electron microscopy analysis, Dictyostelium samples and in the staining of vena cava of adult mice.
Biochem/physiol Actions
When Bluo-Gal is hydrolyzed by β-galactosidase, the resulting product will form a blue precipitate. Lac+ colonies grown in the presence of Bluo-Gal turn a deeper blue color more intense than X-Gal, allowing for easy differentiation between lac+ and lac- colonies.