Methods for Difficult Plant Species/Tissues

Abstract

All molecular genetic screening techniques start with the extraction of DNA from the organism under study and this is difficult when species and tissues high in polysaccharides and/or secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, terpens and resins are involved. Such problems are frequently encountered with woody plant species, including forest trees. An extraction procedure which surmounts these problems is described below The procedure is a modification of a protocol from Guillemaut and Maréchal-Drouard (1), who adapted the use of an acidic extraction medium from Dellaporta et al. (2). The acidic medium prevents oxidation of phenols and also supports the precipitation of large amounts of disrupted tissue.