problems during RNA brain extraction - (Apr/06/2006 )

Hello Everybody!

I tried to extract RNA from different aged brains of mice, using the RNeasy kit from QIAGEN and i have relatively good concentration at the end of my work for every age til 1 year-old brain. The one year and 2 years have a very very low RNA concentration... Could anyone help me with that problem? Could it be due to the age? The bizarre fact is that i did 2 years at the same time as others, with the same kit, columns... and that just the 2 years are not concentrated with also a contaminant at 220 (DO).
Thanks for your answer...

stéphanie

hi
220 contamination may be some solvents or sthg like that. Usually, they have a peak at 230nm, but an "exotic" one may absorb at 220.

For the age of brains... you tell that extraction were done same way. But what are the procedures of freezing the brains? Is it the same protocol? I think that the problem ma better come from the whole procedure till the freezing (how long between taking the brain and it's preparation for freezing is a critical point for ex )