A SIMPLIFIED ELECTROPHORESIS METHOD FOR ANALYSES OF HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT RNA

This paper describes a helpful approach for assessing the quality of R NA prior to common RNA applications such as Northern hybridization, S1 nuclease mapping, poly(A)(+) selection, and reverse transcriptase-pol ymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A simple native gel electrophoresis m ethod using TBE- or TAE-based agarose gel, which minimizes the use of hazardous chemicals including formaldehyde, is sufficient to check the degree of RNA degradation and the contamination of genomic DNA in RNA samples within a short time. This method was applied to the preparati on of RNA samples for RT-PCR and Northern hybridization. The primary b enefit of the described method is to eliminate the use of bio-hazard r eagents in agarose gel electrophoresis, thereby enhancing safety for t he researcher and reducing hazardous waste. Thus, this procedure may b e compatible with recent advances like single-step RNA extraction and RT-PCR methods in any laboratory.