Inclusion of polyvinylpyrrolidone in the polymerase chain reaction reverses the inhibitory effects of polyphenolic contamination of RNA

Polysaccharides, secondary metabolites and polyphenolics are known to co-is olate with nucleic acids from plant tissues resulting in inhibition of mole cular manipulations. RNA isolated from the polyphenolic-rich resurrection p lant, Myrothamnus flabellifolius, was demonstrated to inhibit a standard po lymerase chain reaction used as an assay despite the inclusion of the polyp henolic-binding compound poly(1-vinyl-pyrrolidone-2) (PVP) into the RNA iso lation medium, This inhibition was, however, reversed by the addition of PV P into the PCR mixture itself. Confirmation of the inhibitory effect of pol yphenolics on PCR was obtained by addition of green tee polyphenolics to th e standard PCR assay. This inhibition was also reversed by the simultaneous inclusion of PVP.