Multimerization of restriction fragments by magnesium-mediated stable base pairing between overhangs: A cause of electrophoretic mobility shift

The electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) or simply the "gel shift assay" is one of the most sensitive methods for studying the ability of a protein to bind to DNA. EMSAs are also widely used to investigate protein- or sequence-dependent DNA bending. Here we report that electrophoresis using physiological concentrations of Mg²⁺ can cause a mobility shift of restriction fragments in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels as the overhangs form stable base pairs. This phenomenon was observed at even 37 °C. The retardation was, however, more pronounced at low temperatures, where a three-nucleotide overhang 5′-GAC also caused a mobility shift. The stability of the pairing was generally high when the overhangs of four nucleotides display high GC content, while the mobility shift caused by 5′-AATT was greater than those caused by 5′-GATC, 5′-TCGA, and 5′-CTAG. This observation should be taken into account to avoid misinterpretation of the data when the EMSA, especially the circular permutation gel mobility shift assay, is performed using a running buffer that contains Mg²⁺ ions. The stable adhesion between short overhangs may present an important basis for genome stability and many genetic processes occurring in living cells.