TE

Purpose

TE buffer is often used to store DNA and RNA. The EDTA in TE chelates Mg²⁺ and other divalent metals ions necessary for most causes of DNA and RNA degradation, suppressing these processes.

Recipe

10xTE

for 1 liter from stock solutions
10 ml 1M Tris-HCl pH 7.5 or 8.0 (see notes)
2 ml 0.5M EDTA pH 8.0
988 ml ddH2O

1xTE

for 1 liter from stock solutions
1 ml 1M Tris-HCl pH 7.5 or 8.0 (see notes)
0.2 ml 0.5M EDTA pH 8.0
988 ml ddH2O

→ 1x TE is 10 mM Tris-HCl and 1 mM EDTA

Notes

• For the Tris-HCl use Tris base and adjust to desired pH using HCl.
• TE buffer is often used to store DNA and RNA. The EDTA in TE chelates Mg²⁺ and other divalent metals ions necessary for most causes of DNA and RNA degradation, suppressing these processes. However, downstream reactions like restriction digests, PCR, ligations, and reverse transcription typically require Mg²⁺, potentially making the presence of EDTA in the reaction problematic. So, when using DNA or RNA that was suspended in TE, you should keep track of the amount of EDTA in the mix to make sure there is still enough Mg²⁺ for subsequent reactions to proceed successfully. Each EDTA molecule chelates one Mg²⁺ ion.
• Some protocols use TE 10:0.1 with 0.1 mM EDTA to reduce the interaction of the EDTA with downstream applications.
• Some people use TE buffers with different pH's for different applications. For example, DNA is stored at pH 8 to reduce depurination, which is acid catalyzed, while RNA is stored at a slightly lower pH (7.5) because degradation of RNA is base-catalyzed. Most downstream reactions will not be influenced by the slightly different pH storage conditions.
• For dilalution of primers Water for Injection(water that is used for dialute injections)can be used effectively rather than going for TE and also for PCR as well. and