Utility of FTA cards for the preservation of marine green and red algal DNA

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Wilson Freshwater, Research Specialist (Creator)

Institution

The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )

Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/

Abstract: Fast Technology for Analysis of nucleic acids (FTA) cards are a paper-based matrix impregnated with chelators, denaturants and free-radical traps that inhibit enzymes, chemicals and microbes that might degrade DNA or RNA. Originally developed for Phenylketonuria screening in newborns (Guthrie and Susi 1963), they were subsequently used in human medical and forensic science for detecting DNA by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) (e.g., Devost and Choy 2000; Vanek et al. 2001). Further research has expanded the use of FTA cards to both DNA and RNA based studies of many organisms including plants (e.g., Roy and Nassuth 2005; Tsukaya et al. 2005), but their utility with marine algae has not been tested. Many different methods for the preservation of marine algal samples and the subsequent extraction of DNA have been published. Whereas DNA extractions from live material work best, it is often not practical to transport living algae back to the lab. Frozen samples are known to work well, however difficulty with transporting frozen material from remote collecting locations prompted the use of silica gel desiccant to quick dry samples in the field (Freshwater and Rueness 1994). Other researchers have found that ethanol preservation of some algal groups works better than quick drying (e.g., Koistra et al. 2002; Lin and Fredericq 2003). Similar to differences in preservation success, the best method for extracting DNA from preserved samples varies in the different algal groups, and consequently a large number of methods and commercial kits have been used (e.g., Mayes et al. 1992; Goff and Moon 1993; Hughey et al. 2001; Curtis et al. 2008). The FTA card system would seem to be an ideal method for both the preservation and later extraction of marine algal DNA, and therefore a series of tests were carried out to determine its utility.

Utility of FTA cards for the preservation of marine green and red algal DNA
PDF (Portable Document Format)
206 KB
Created on 5/21/2013
Views: 1875

Additional Information

Publication

Freshwater, D., & Schmitt, S. L. (2009). Utility of fta cards for the preservation of marine green and red algal DNA. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science, 125(3), 103-106. Retrieved from http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/jncas/id/3933/rec/4

Language: English

Date: 2009

Keywords

DNA extraction, DNA preservation, FTA card, Marine algal DNA, PCR.

Subjects

Red algae

Green algae

Marine algae

DNA

Nucleic acids—Analysis

Polymerase chain reaction

Email this document to