I am trying to get kinetics of one nucleotide incorporation;I used a 32P-5end primer (29-mer), hybridized with a template as substrate; differentdNTP concentration, at fixed time and DNA polymerase concentration. The reactionwas stopped adding the same volume of the Loading buffer (90% Formamide, 50mM EDTA,0.01% Bromophenol Blue). Samples were heated at 95 degrees for 3 min and thenput them on ice. Samples were loaded to Polyacrylamide Gel (7.5%Acrylamide:Bisacrylamide (19:1), Urea 8M, 1X TBE, 0.05% APS and 0.03% TEMED),the gel was resolved at 2400 V until the Bromophenol bye reached the bottom ofthe gel (45cm). Gel was dried. To quantify the primers and the products, one phosphorscreen was exposed to the gel.
At the beginning there was no problem, I could see just oneband in the negative control (no dNTP), and two bands when dNTP was added (Thehigher dNTP concentration, the higher intensity of the second band). This happenedfor at least 3 different experiments. And then I started to observe smear bands,and worst of all, was when I observeddouble bands in all the wells. After 1 month, labeling again, preparing alwaysdaily fresh loading buffer, new Acrylamide solutions, new TBE, new TEMED andAPS I could see I one nice gel with just one band in the negative control andtwo bands when dNTP was added; PROBLEM SOLVED???, NO; because then I run anothergel with previous samples (those that gave me the last nice gel) and new ones;and I observed two bands in all the sample, negative control include. So now Ido not know what to do to get again nice gels. Someone can help me with thistrouble?