Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) Technique and its use in Molecular Biology

In recent years, the use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in the molecular biology area has been subject to much research. PFGE is a powerful tool for characterizing various strains at the DNA level, obtaining relevant information on genome size and constructing the physical and genetic map of the chromosome of bacteria that are poorly understood at the genetic level as well as in separating chromosomes in microorganisms, and in the long-range mapping of mammalian genes. PFGE also has advantage of examining the elongated and oriented configuration of large DNA molecules in agarose gels at finite field strengths. In this review, the use of PFGE in molecular biology, the general characteristics of PFGE, different types of PFGE and factors affecting PFGE are introduced.