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Length Reduction of Larval Yellow Perch and Freshwater Amphipods in RNA later Solution
Author(s) -
Foley Carolyn J.,
Ryan Daniel J.,
Höök Tomas O.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/m10-035.1
Subject(s) - perch , rna , biology , nucleic acid , larva , preservative , zoology , toxicology , fishery , food science , ecology , biochemistry , fish <actinopterygii> , gene
Use of RNA later (Ambion, Inc.) solution to preserve whole organisms for nucleic acid analysis is gaining popularity, in part because it effectively preserves both RNA and DNA without the need for freezing the organism. Similar preservatives have been shown to cause short‐term changes in animal length, and such changes must be accounted for as analyses progress. We examined the rates and degrees of shrinkage for freshwater amphipods Diporeia spp. and larval yellow perch Perca flavescens after preservation in RNA later solution in comparison with more common preservatives. We found that after 2 months of preservation, Diporeia shrank by 3% in RNA later versus gaining length by 5% in diluted ethanol and by 1% in diluted formaldehyde. After 5.5 months of preservation, larval yellow perch lengths decreased by 23% in RNA later , 10% in diluted ethanol, 12% in diluted formaldehyde, and 19% when frozen in water. Overall length reduction for Diporeia and larval yellow perch was significantly greater in RNA later than in ethanol or formalin. Since accurate measures of length are necessary for many nucleic acid analyses, researchers utilizing RNA later solution should attempt to measure organisms while they are alive or should develop preservation‐specific correction functions to overcome biases associated with shrinkage.