RNAlater and RNAprotect Systems

RNAlater RNA Stabilization Reagent and new RNAlater TissueProtect Tubes provide immediate stabilization of RNA in tissue samples for accurate expression analysis. RNAprotect Bacteria Reagent gives immediate stabilization of RNA in living bacteria before cell harvest and sample preparation.

Features and benefits

• Immediate RNA stabilization and protection to ensure reliable gene expression and gene-profiling data
• Convenient and safe handling at room temperature — no need for liquid nitrogen or dry ice
• Archiving of tissue samples without risk of RNA degradation — even after multiple freeze–thaw cycles
• Sample collection and storage in convenient, easy-to-handle, reclosable RNAlater TissueProtect Tubes
• Stabilization of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with RNAprotect Bacteria Reagent — simply add the reagent directly to bacterial cultures

Principle

Once a biological sample is harvested, its RNA becomes extremely unstable. Immediate stabilization of the RNA and preservation of the RNA expression pattern is a prerequisite for accurate gene expression analysis. Gene induction or down-regulation triggered by sample manipulation must also be prevented. Immediate protection in tissue, with RNAlater RNA Stabilization Reagent, or in bacteria, with RNAprotect Bacteria Reagent, ensures that downstream analyses reflect true expression profiles. These reagents quickly permeate the biological sample, stabilizing and protecting the RNA.

Procedure

For RNA protection and sample storage, tissue samples are submerged in an appropriate volume of RNAlater RNA Stabilization Reagent immediately after harvesting. RNAlater TissueProtect Tubes provide premeasured volumes of RNAlater RNA Stabilization Reagent in reclosable tubes for convenient handling and sample storage. The reagent preserves RNA for up to 1 day at 37°C, 7 days at 18–25°C, or 4 weeks at 2–8°C, allowing processing, transportation, storage, and shipping of samples without liquid nitrogen or dry ice. Alternatively, the samples can also be placed at –20°C or –80°C for archival storage.

For Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, 2 volumes of RNAprotect Bacteria Reagent are added directly to 1 volume of bacterial culture, providing immediate stabilization of RNA.

Applications

Animal tissues stabilized in RNAlater RNA Stabilization Reagent can be used for total RNA isolation using RNeasy Kits or poly A+ mRNA isolation using Oligotex Direct mRNA Kits, or for parallel purification of RNA and DNA using QIAGEN RNA/DNA Kits. Bacteria stabilized in RNAprotect Bacteria Reagent can be used for total RNA isolation using RNeasy Kits.