RNAlater - how to handle tissue stored in RNAlater (Nov/09/2005 )

Hi guys

I would like to isolate RNA from a liver probe which is stored in RNAlater stabilisation reagent from Qiagen at -80 °C. I have never worked before with probes stored in this buffer.
So my question is now how to handle the tissue.

Shall I first thaw the probe, remove the tissue from the stabilisation reagent and then disrupt the thawed tissue? Shall I use liquid N2.

Can I use afterwards any RNA extraction protocol (we usually use a guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform based RNA extraction protocol) or is it better to use a KIT from Qiagen.

Thanks a lot for your help,

Nora

here, hope this pdf helps:

http://www1.qiagen.com/literature/protocols/pdf/RY10.pdf

if it won't load correctly for whatever reason, it's in qiagen's website under handbooks for RNAlater applications

For your second ?, I would say it should not matter how you isolate the RNA later....I have seen references in the literature that use RNAlater and do not use Qiagen's kit for the isolation itself

good luck