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In situ Hybridization demonstrates the stability of mRNA in post‐mortem rat tissues
Author(s) -
Walker E.,
McNicol A. M.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1711680112
Subject(s) - in situ hybridization , messenger rna , biology , oligonucleotide , microbiology and biotechnology , rna , pancreas , in situ , biochemistry , chemistry , dna , gene , organic chemistry
Abstract In situ hybridization was used to detect messenger RNA (mRNA) in a variety of rat tissues which were fixed in formalin either immediately after death or after a 24 h period of storage at 5°C. A synthetic polydeoxythymidine [poly d(T)] oligonucleotide probe was used to demonstrate poiyadenylated [poly (A)] mRNA in the small intestine, pancreas, liver, cerebellum, and pituitary. Of these tissues, only the liver showed a small reproducible reduction in hybridization signal following delayed fixation. Synthetic oligonucleotide probes complementary to albumin and pro‐opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNAs were hybridized to liver and pituitary, respectively. There was no significant reduction in hybridization signal in post‐mortem tissues. The results suggest that some mRNAs may be remarkably stable under certain postmortem conditions and this should encourage the wider application of in situ hybridization techniques to post‐mortem material.