ELISA and RNA purification - Can ELISA be performed on frozen leafs (Jul/03/2006 )

I would like to perform ELISA (for virus detection) and RT PCR on the same leaf sample. I was thinking about harvesting the leaf tissue in liquid nitrogen, homogenize the frozen sample and then split the sample for RNA purification and ELISA analysis. I have never made ELISA on frozen leaves before, does anyone have experience with whether freezing influences the ELISA results?

Thanks
Marianne

-MarianneB-

I'm guessing freezing won't be bad. I mean, you're already homogenising the leaf sample, so you're going to be disrupting the cells anyway. All that freezing would do is to help the process of cell lysis.
give it a shot...

-swanny-

QUOTE (swanny @ Jul 4 2006, 08:39 AM)

how about if i wanted to extract the proteins from the leaf samples? freezing might crystallize them proteins right?

-hann-

Freezing is usually quite a good way of preserving proteins, freeze/thaw does however degrade them and so does storing them at room/fridge temperatures, mostly becasue of the activity of proteases.

-bob1-

QUOTE (bob1 @ Dec 5 2007, 03:35 AM)

Freezing is usually quite a good way of preserving proteins, freeze/thaw does however degrade them and so does storing them at room/fridge temperatures, mostly becasue of the activity of proteases.

oh okay. can u suggest a way storing leaf samples before i actually process them for protein extraction? ur help will be greatly appreciated

-charity-