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The isolation of nucleic acids from fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues-which methods are useful when?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17579711     Owner:  NLM     Status:  PubMed-not-MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Museums and pathology collections around the world represent an archive of genetic material to study populations and diseases. For preservation purposes, a large portion of these collections has been fixed in formalin-containing solutions, a treatment that results in cross-linking of biomolecules. Cross-linking not only complicates isolation of nucleic acid but also introduces polymerase "blocks" during PCR. A wide variety of methods exists for the recovery of DNA and RNA from archival tissues, and although a number of previous studies have qualitatively compared the relative merits of the different techniques, very few have undertaken wide scale quantitative comparisons. To help address this issue, we have undertaken a study that investigates the quality of nucleic acids recovered from a test panel of fixed specimens that have been manipulated following a number of the published protocols. These include methods of pre-treating the samples prior to extraction, extraction and nucleic acid purification methods themselves, and a post-extraction enzymatic repair technique. We find that although many of the published methods have distinct positive effects on some characteristics of the nucleic acids, the benefits often come at a cost. In addition, a number of the previously published techniques appear to have no effect at all. Our findings recommend that the extraction methodology adopted should be chosen carefully. Here we provide a quick reference table that can be used to determine appropriate protocols for particular aims.
Authors:
M Thomas P Gilbert; Tamara Haselkorn; Michael Bunce; Juan J Sanchez; Sebastian B Lucas; Laurence D Jewell; Eric Van Marck; Michael Worobey
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2007-06-20
Journal Detail:
Title:  PloS one     Volume:  2     ISSN:  1932-6203     ISO Abbreviation:  PLoS ONE     Publication Date:  2007  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2007-06-20     Completed Date:  2007-07-31     Revised Date:  2009-11-18    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101285081     Medline TA:  PLoS One     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  e537     Citation Subset:  -    
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America. mtpgilbert@gmail.com
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