What are the advantages of dNTPs being presented in Lithium salts as opposed to Sodium salts?
As mentioned in question 7, dNTPs presented in Lithium salts are more resistant to repeated freeze/thawing than those in Sodium salts, and remain sterile during the entire storage period (the lithium ion has been shown to have significant bacteriostatic activity towards various microorganisms). dNTPs are more soluble in Lithium salts than in Sodium salts. This is particularly important for dGTP, which has a tendency to precipitate during freezing, therefore causing an imbalance in the final dNTP concentration. Lithium salts are also more soluble in ethanol than sodium salts. Thus, removal by ethanol precipitation of lithium salts is more efficient than removal of sodium salts. Using lithiumsalt nucleotide preparations reduces saltinduced artifacts and increases the legibility of sequencing gels. Lithium salts are highly suited to PCR, sequencing, and labelling applications.
