logo
AAT Bioquest

What does Giemsa bind to?

Posted August 18, 2021


Answer

Giemsa binds to the phosphate groups of DNA through intercalation, making it excellent for use in chromosome staining. The stain attaches itself to regions of DNA that have high amounts of adenine-thymine bonding. This assists in the detection of chromosomal aberrations such as rearrangements and translocations.

Additional resources

Nucleus

Dye binding mechanisms in G-banding of chromosomes

Hoechst 33342 *20 mM solution in water*