Is the Taq included in the kit an antibody hot-start enzyme?
The PowerPlex S5 PCR reaction is indeed hot-start in nature. However, the method to achieve hot-start is different than that used in antibody-based hot start enzymes. The reaction buffer includes Promega’s Taq DNA Polymerase and a mixture of single-stranded DNA binding proteins. The DNA binding proteins sequester the amplification primers, preventing primer extension during reaction set-up. Heating the reactions in a thermal cycler denatures the DNA binding proteins, liberating the primers and allowing primer extension to occur. This is the same technology used in Plexor® HY dual quantification system for forensic casework.
