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Reverse Transcription Procedure for Two-Step RT-PCR:

 

Add the following reagents to a thin-walled 200 or 500 ml PCR microcentrifuge tube on ice:

 

Volume                     Reagent                    Final Concentration

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5 ml                       RNA template               10 pg/ml (0.05-0.25mg/ml total RNA or desired Ploy A RNA

 

1 ml                       Deoxynucleotide mix      500 mm each dNTP

 

1 ml                       Control primers             1 mm each

-or-

Random nonamers          2.5 mm

-or-

Specific primer              ------

-or-

Oligo (dT)12-18 3.5 mm

 

7.5 ml                    Water                           ------

 

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14.5 ml Total Volume

 

Note: The oligo (dT)12-18 cannot be used with the RNA template that does not have a polyadenylated tail such as Ribosome RNA.

 

 

Mix gently and briefly centrifuge to collect all components to the bottom of the tube.

 

Place tube in thermal cycler between 70 °C and 85 °C for 10 minutes.

 

Remove tube, place on ice, centrifuge and add the following components to the reaction:

 

Volume             Reagent                            Final Concentration

________________________________________________________

4 ml                  5 x buffer for AMV-RT      1 x

 

1 ml                  Enhanced avian RT            1 U/ml

 

0.5 ml               RNase inhibitor                  1 U/ml

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20 ml Total Volume

 

 

Incubate the reaction tubes at 25 °C for 15 minutes if using random nonamers or oligo (dT)12-18. This pre-incubation step allows these primers to be extended by the enhanced avian RT before incubating at 42°C.

 

Place tubes at 42° C for 50 minutes.

Note: Raising the transcription reaction temperature incrementally (up to 65 °C) is recommended for transcribing templates with difficult secondary structure. If the transcription reaction is run at elevated temperatures, a drop in yield may occur.

 

The first strand of cDNA is now ready for subsequent PCR amplification, cloning, library synthesis, etc.