Sample & Assay Technologies

Quick-StartProtocol
HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase

HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase (cat. nos. 203203, 203205, 203207, and
203209), including buffers and reagents, should be stored immediately upon
receipt at 20C in a constant-temperature freezer.
For more information, please refer to the HotStarTaq PCR Handbook, which can
be found at www.qiagen.com/handbooks.
For technical assistance, please call toll-free 00800-22-44-6000, or find
regional phone numbers at www.qiagen.com/contact.
Notes before starting
HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase requires a heat-activation step of 15 min at
95C (see step 5).
The PCR Buffer provides a final concentration of 1.5 mM MgCl2 in the
reaction mix, which will give satisfactory results in most cases. However, in
some cases, reactions may be improved by increasing the final Mg2+
concentration. If a higher Mg2+ concentration is required, add the
appropriate volume of 25 mM MgCl2 to the reaction mix as described in
the HotStarTaq PCR Handbook.
If required, prepare a dNTP mix containing 10 mM of each dNTP. Store
this mix in aliquots at 20C. High-quality, PCR-grade dNTP mix (10 mM) is
available from QIAGEN (cat. no. 201900).
HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase is provided with Q-Solution, which facilitates
amplification of templates that have a high degree of secondary structure
or that are GC-rich by modifying the melting behavior of DNA. When using
Q-Solution for the first time for a particular primertemplate pair, always
perform parallel reactions with and without Q-Solution.
It is not necessary to keep PCR tubes on ice as nonspecific DNA synthesis
cannot occur at room temperature due to the inactive state of HotStarTaq
DNA Polymerase.
A No Template Control (NTC) should always be included.
January 2011
Sample & Assay Technologies

1. Thaw 10x PCR Buffer, dNTP mix, primer solutions, Q-Solution (if required),
and 25 mM MgCl2 (if required). Mix thoroughly before use to avoid
localized differences in salt concentration.
2. Prepare a reaction mix according to Table 1. The reaction mix typically
contains all the components needed for PCR except the template DNA.
Prepare a volume of reaction mix 10% greater than that required for the
total number of PCR assays to be performed.
Table 1. Reaction setup using HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase
Component Volume/reaction Final concentration
Reaction mix
10x PCR Buffer* 10 l 1x

Optional: 5x Q-Solution 20 l 1x
dNTP mix (10 mM of each) 2 l 200 M of each dNTP
Primer A Variable 0.10.5 M
Primer B Variable 0.10.5 M
HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase 0.5 l 2.5 units/reaction
Distilled water Variable
Template DNA Variable 1 g/reaction

(added at step 4)
Total reaction volume 100 l
* Contains 15 mM MgCl2.
For templates with GC-rich regions or complex secondary structure.
If using different reaction volumes, adjust the volume of each component accordingly.
3. Mix the reaction mix gently but thoroughly, for example, by pipetting up
and down a few times. Dispense appropriate volumes into PCR tubes.
4. Add template DNA (1 g/100 l reaction) to the individual PCR tubes
containing the reaction mix. For RT-PCR, add an aliquot from the reverse
transcriptase reaction. This should not exceed 10% of the final PCR volume.
5. Program the thermal cycler according to the manufacturers instructions.
Note: Each PCR program must start with an initial heat-activation step at
95C for 15 min. A typical PCR cycling program is outlined in Table 2. For
maximum yield and specificity, temperatures and cycling times should be
optimized for each new template target or primer pair.
6. Place the PCR tubes in the thermal cycler and start the cycling program.
Note: After amplification, samples can be stored overnight at 28C, or at
20C for longer storage.
Table 2. Optimized cycling conditions
Step Time Temperature Comment
Initial heat activation 15 min 95C Activates HotStarTaq DNA

Polymerase.
3-step cycling:
Denaturation 0.51 min 94C
Annealing 0.51 min 5068C Approximately 5C below Tm of

primers.
Extension 1 min 72C For PCR products longer than 1 kb,

use an extension time of
approximately 1 min per kb DNA.
Number of cycles 2535
Final extension 10 min 72C

For up-to-date licensing information and product-
specific disclaimers, see the respective QIAGEN kit
handbook or user manual.
Trademarks: QIAGEN, HotStarTaq, Q-Solution (QIAGEN Group).
1067511 01/2011 2011 QIAGEN, all rights reserved.
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Quick-StartProtocol

HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase

Sample & Assay Technologies

Table 1. Reaction setup using HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase

Component Volume/reaction Final concentration

dNTP mix (10 mM of each) 2 l 200 M of each dNTP

Primer A Variable 0.10.5 M

Primer B Variable 0.10.5 M

HotStarTaq DNA Polymerase 0.5 l 2.5 units/reaction

Distilled water Variable

Template DNA Variable 1 g/reaction

Total reaction volume 100 l

For templates with GC-rich regions or complex secondary structure.

Table 2. Optimized cycling conditions

Step Time Temperature Comment

Initial heat activation 15 min 95C Activates HotStarTaq DNA

Annealing 0.51 min 5068C Approximately 5C below Tm of

Extension 1 min 72C For PCR products longer than 1 kb,

Number of cycles 2535

Final extension 10 min 72C

Sample & Assay Technologies

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