Extraction of Proteins and RNA from Small Solid Tissue Samples Using PCT and FT 500-ND PULSE Tubes-080610

Introduction
Efficient, reproducible and rapid tissue disruption and extraction of biomolecules are prerequisite for many biological applications. Solid tissues, especially tough or fibrous ones like muscle, generally require extensive mechanical disruption prior to extraction. Mortar and pestle grinding, pulverization in liquid nitrogen or homogenization with a dounce or polytron homogenizer are some of the classical methods that have been used for tissue disruption. However, these manual methods are often inconsistent, time consuming and potentially hazardous. In addition, due to the amount of sample loss inherent in these methods, they are often unsuitable for use with small samples in the 10 μg size range. Here we describe a system for efficient tissue disruption and extraction of protein or RNA from solid tissues using the Pressure Cycling Technology Sample Preparation System (PCT SPS) and the FT 500-ND PULSE Tubes. Pressurization of small sample volumes in these tubes causes repeated compression of the sample tissue between the PULSE Tube Cap and Ram. This high-pressure mechanical tissue disruption, combined with the power of pressure cycling technology (PCT), is an efficient and reproducible method to prepare whole tissue lysates from solid tissue samples for extraction of proteins or nucleic acids.