20-Aug-2024 Embryo RNA Extractions

lab records
Author

Sarah Tanja

Published

August 20, 2024

Modified

September 1, 2025

1 Samples

  • 1H9F, 2H9F, 3H9F = 123H9

  • 4M4F, 5M4F, 6M4F = 456M4

  • 7L4F, 8L4F, 9L4F = 789L4

  • 7M14F, 8M14F, 9M14F = 789M14

  • 10C4F, 11C4F, 12C4F = 101112C4

  • 10H14F, 11H14F, 12H14F = 101112H14

  • 13C9F, 14C9F, 15C9F = 131415C9

  • 13C14F, 14C14F, 15C14F = 131415C14

2 Summary

Note

Overall success! Big change here was homogenizing for 10 minutes, the average yield did seem to improve and I got clear supernatent after the homogenization step. Working with 8 samples at a time was manageable. Still seeing quantity on the lower workable end, but I think that’s an artifact of working with small embryo sample starting material size.

3 Extraction Notes

kit: Zymo Quick-DNA/RNA Miniprep Plus Kit

  • Thaw samples to room temp

  • Transfer and pool samples to one Zymo BashingBead Tube

  • Homogenize for 10 minutes

    • 10 min Zymo BashingBead Tube

      • The 4hpf samples are hardier and take a little longer to lyse than the other embryonic phases
  • Centrifuge at 16,000xg for 1 min to get rid of bubbles

    • Check for complete lysis of embryos
    • Supernatent is clear!
  • Transfer 2 550uL aliquots of cleared supernatent to one new nuclease-free tube

  • Centrifuge at 16,000xg for 1 min to pellet any beads

  • Split cleared supernatent into two aliquots of 530uL & transfer each aliquot to a new nuclease-free tube

  • Add 530uL of DNA/RNA Lysis Buffer to each tube ( a total of 1060uL volume in each tube )

  • Vortex to mix for 5 seconds

    —> Proceed to purification

  • Sequentially transfer 1060uL of each sample in aliquots of 700uL into yellow Spin-Away Filter in a Collection Tube and centrifuge for 30s at 16,000xg SAVE THE FLOW THROUGH FOR RNA PURIFICATION by tipping flow through into spare collection tube (15mL Falcon Tube)

  • Doubled volume of 100% (200 proof) ethanol to the RNA flow through in a falcon tube and vortexed to mix. End volume of flow through + ethanol = 4mL

  • Sequentially transfer RNA flow-through + ethanol in volumes =>700uL into the green Zymo Spin IIICG Column in a Collection Tube. This should take 6 ‘spins’

  • Saved 1st 2 spins (1400uL) for protein tube. Once collected place in -20 freezer.

  • Performed DNase I Treatment on green RNA spin column

    DB = 75*8
    print(DB)
    [1] 600
    Dnase = 5*8 
    print(Dnase)
    [1] 40
Note
    I didn't invert to mix... I always lose some volume 'beads' in the lid when I do this. Instead I flicked the tube to mix it and kept all the volume down in the conical end of the tube. This worked well and I had a full 80uL of treatment per spin column to work with!
  • 400uL of Prep Buffer
  • 700uL of DNA/RNA Wash Buffer
  • 400uL of DNA/RNA Wash Buffer, 2min
  • Centrifuge 2min dry run
  • Warmed Zymo DNase-RNase Free Water to 55C in heat block before elution, and slowly dripped 50uL of water directly over filter.

4 End Products

eluted DNA volume: 50uL in Zymo DNase-RNase Free Water

eluted RNA volume: 50uL in warmed (55C) Zymo DNase-RNase Free Water

Important

I upped the elution volume from 30 to 50 for RNA because I wanted to make sure the nuclease-free water volume was enough to saturate the whole filter and get the RNA from it… The minimum volume in the kit instructions is 50uL… And I do have an RNA Clean & Concentrator kit that allows me to reduce that if needed. As long as total RNA is at least 100ng, we’re good. That means that qubit value (ng/uL) times the elution volume.

5 Qubit QAQC

Using the Invitrogen Thermo Fischer RNA High Sensitivity Assay Kit.

Prepared working solution for 6 samples and two standards (plus some extra) in a 5mL tube:

buffer <- 199*10
print(buffer)
[1] 1990
reagent <- 1*10
print(reagent)
[1] 10

5.0.1 RNA

standard 1: 92.70

standard 2: 1770.25

RunID: 2024-08-21_054905

sample_id qubit_rna_1 qubit_rna_2
  • 123H9
6.66 ng/uL 6.68 ng/uL
  • 456M4
9.60 ng/uL 9.52 ng/uL
  • 789L4
8.18 ng/uL 8.18 ng/uL
  • 789M14
10.6 ng/uL 10.4 ng/uL
  • 101112C4
15.4 ng/uL 15.4 ng/uL
  • 101112H14
7.20 ng/uL 7.02 ng/uL
  • 131415C9
10.7 ng/uL 10.8 ng/uL
  • 131415C14
11.4 ng/uL 11.4 ng/uL

6 Storage Location

RNA samples are stored in -80C ‘JPG Lab Thermo’ freezer on shelf 1 in coral-embryo-leachate RNA wax freezer boxes with green label tape:

DNA samples (not quantified) are stored in -20C in JPG Lab FSH 236 in shelf 2 in coral-embryo-leachate DNA wax freezer box with yellow label tape:

Protein flow-through (not quantified) are stored in -20C in JPG Lab FSH 236 in shelf 2 in coral-embryo-leachate PROTEIN wax freezer box with blue label tape: