Quaternary amine surfactant and methods of using same in isolation of RNA
AssigneeQiagen GmbH
InventorDonald E. Macfarlane
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a novel method for isolating RNA from biological samples using selected quaternary amine surfactants. The RNA is isolated quickly and in sufficient quantity and quality to permit analysis by methods including reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction.
Claims21
A method for isolating nucleic acids from a biological sample comprising the step of contacting the sample with an aqueous quaternary amine surfactant, wherein said quaternary amine has the formula ##STR2## wherein R1 through R4 are independently selected from an alkyl chain containing from 1 to 20 carbons, and an aryl group containing from 6 to 26 carbons, wherein at least one of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is aryl and X- is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, lower alkyl-substituted benzyl, and halogenated benyzl.
A method for isolating RNA from a biological sample comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting the sample with an aqueous quaternary amine surfactant, wherein said quaternary amine has the formula ##STR3## wherein R1 through R4 are independently selected from an alkyl chain containing from the 1 to 20 carbons, and an aryl group containing from 6 to 26 carbons and X.sup.- is selected from the group consisting of phosphate, sulfate, formate, acetate, propionate, oxalate, malonate, succinate and citrate;
- (b) forming an insoluble ionic complex between the RNA in the sample and the surfactant;
- (c) separating said complex from the solution by centrifuging the sample and surfactant mixture;
- and
- (d) dissociating the RNA from the RNA/surfactant complex.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.