Skip to main content
Log in

Extraction of DNA from milligram amounts of fresh, herbarium and mummified plant tissues

  • Published:
Plant Molecular Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We have developed a DNA extraction procedure for milligram amounts of plant tissue. Yields ranged from 0.3–200 nanograms of DNA per milligram of tissue. The factors affecting yield are discussed. Fresh tissue, as well as herbarium specimens (22–118 years old) and mummified seeds and embryos (500 to greater than 44 600 years old) were used. All tissues attempted (57 types from 29 species) yielded measurable amounts of DNA. In no case tested was inhibition observed for restriction enzymes BamHI or EcoRI.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bell GI, DeGennaro LJ, Gelfand DH, Bishop RJ, Valenzuela P, Rutter WJ: Ribosomal RNA genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Biol Chem 252:8118–8125, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bendich AJ, Anderson RS, Ward BL: Plant DNA: long, pure and simple. In: Leaver CJ (ed) Genome organization and expression. Plenum Press, New York, 1980, pp 31–33.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bennett MD, Smith JB: Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms. Phil Trans Royal Soc London, ser B, 274:227–274, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cullis CA; Chromatin-bound DNA-dependent RNA polymerase in developing pea cotyledons. Planta (Berl) 131: 293–298, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Davies RD: DNA contents and cell number in relation to seed size in the genus Vicia. Heredity 39:153–163, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dellaporta SL, Wood J, Hicks JB: A plant DNA minipreparation: version II. Plant Mol Biol Rep 1:19–21, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Doerschug EB, Miksche JP, Palmer RG: DNA content, ribosomal-RNA gene number, and protein content in soybeans. Can J Genet Cytol 20:531–538, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Freifelder D. Physical biochemistry. Applications to biochemistry and molecular biology (2nd edn). W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, 1982, p 686.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Higuchi R, Bowman B, Freiberger M, Ryder OA, Wilson AC: DNA sequences from the quagga, an extinct member of the horse family. Nature 312:282–284, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ingle J, Timmis J, Sinclair J: The relationship between satellite DNA, rRNA, gene redundancy and genome size in plants. Plant Physiol 55:496–501, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jones MC, Boffey SA: Deoxyribonuclease activities of wheat seedlings. FEBS Lett 174:215–218, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Leutweiter LS, Hough-Evans BR, Meyerowitz EM: The DNA of Arabidopsis thaliana. Mol Gen Genet 94:15–23, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Maher EP, Fox DP: Multiplicity of ribosomal RNA genes in Vicia species with different nuclear DNA contents. Nature New Biol 245:170–172, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Murray HG, Thompson WF: Rapid isolation of high molecular weight DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 8:4321–4325, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sparrow AH, Price HJ, Underbrink AG: A survey of DNA content per cell and per chromosome of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms: some evolutionary considerations. In: Smith HH (ed) Evolution of genetic systems. Gordon and Breach. New York, 1972, pp 451–494.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Spaulding WG, Leopold EB, VanDevender TR: Late Wisconsin paleoecology of the American Southwest. In: Wright HEJr (ed) Late-quaternary environments of the United States, Vol 1, The late pleistocene, Stephen Porter (ed) University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1983, pp 263–265, 266–276.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Taylor B, Powell A: Isolation of plant DNA and RNA. Focus 4:4–6, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Zimmer EA, Newton KJ: A simple method for the isolation of high molecular weight DNA from individual maize seedlings and tissues. In: Sheridan WF (ed) Maize for biological research. University Press, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rogers, S.O., Bendich, A.J. Extraction of DNA from milligram amounts of fresh, herbarium and mummified plant tissues. Plant Mol Biol 5, 69–76 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020088

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020088

Navigation