RNA isolation from highly viscous samples rich in polyphenols and polysaccharides

Abstract

The homogenized solution of leaves from woody plant Cinnamomum tenuipilum is relatively viscous, gluelike, and rich in polysaccharides and polyphenols, which makes the isolation of RNA particularly difficult. If drawing with a tip, continuous filaments are formed at the end of tip. Guanidine-based and phenol/SDS methods resulted in brown and water-insoluble RNA pellets. With modifications of a CTAB method by including 2 centrifugation steps at 30,000 g, we developed an effective and reproducible protocol that yields enough good quality RNA for northern analysis and RT-PCR.