Preparation of RNA Samples from Mouse Tissues

Materials

• PureLink RNA Mini Kit (Invitrogen cat#12183-018A)
• Mouse Tissue (50-100 mg, about a 3mm cube)
• TRIZol (Invitrogen cat# 12183-555)
• Chloroform (in solvent cabinet)
• Label tubes, for each sample need 3 eppies, at least one of which is 2 mL and one of which is a recovery tube from the PureLink kit.
• 70% Ethanol make with RNAase free water and 100% Ethanol.

Protocol

1. Add 1 mL TRIzol reagent to each 2 mL tube.
2. Cut ~50-100 mg of tissue. If tissue is in RNAlater, cut at room temperature. If tissue is frozen cut on dry ice. Weigh into a fresh 2mL eppendorf tube and keep on ice.
3. Using tissue grinder, homogenize tissue for ~30s until homogeneous (no clumps).
4. Incubate 5 minutes at room temperature.
5. Add 200 uL Chloroform and shake vigourously by hand for 15s. Do not vortex.
6. Incubate at room temperature for 2-3 minutes.
7. Centrifuge in a cold eppendorf centrifuge on maximum for 15 minutes. Sample will separate into a lower, red chloroform phase, an interphase and a colorless upper phase which contains the RNA.
8. Transfer 600 uL of the upper phase to a fresh tube.
9. Add 600 uL of 70% ethanol and mix by vortexing.
10. Remove 700 uL of mixture (invert briefly to mix before taking sample) and add to a spin column in a collection tube.
11. Spin 15s on max (press button). Discard flow through. Add remaining sample and respin.
12. Add 700 uL Wash Buffer I to spin column.
13. Spin 15s on max. Discard flow through and the collection tube. Get a new collection tube.
14. Add 500 uL Wash Buffer II (make sure ethanol was added to the wash buffer) to the spin cartridge.
15. Spin 15s on max. Discard the flow through and replace the collection tube.
16. Repeat wash by adding 500 uL Wash Buffer II to the spin cartridge.
17. Spin 15s on max. Discard the flow through and keep the same collection tube.
18. Spin 1 min on max to dry the cartridge. Discard the collection tube and place into a clean recovery tube. Add 100 uL RNAase free water to the center of each tube. This can be adjusted to between 30 and 300 uL elution buffer if necessary.
19. Incubate at room temperature for 1min.
20. Spin 2 min on max to get purified RNA.
21. Quantify the RNA using the nanodrop.