6 Cell Line Extraction Methods
6.1 RNA (TRIzol)
6.1.1 Lysis and Phase Separation
Lyse and homogenize samples in TRIzol Reagent according to your starting material:
6.1.1.1 Tissues
- Add
of TRIzol Reagent per of tissue to the sample and homogenize using a homogenizer
6.1.1.2 Cell grown in monolayer
6.1.1.2.1 Trypsinizing
If you are planning to measure %GFP+ or you are isolating cells from only one well of a multi-well plate e.g. during a time course experiment:
- In the hood, trypsinize the cells and transfer them to a 15mL conical
- For a 6 well plate, trypsinize with
trypsin and quench with medium. - At this point, you can measure %GFP+, for instance.
- For a 6 well plate, trypsinize with
- Centrifuge at
for - Aspirate the supernatant
- Add
TRIzol to the tube and transfer to a 1.5mL microfuge tube
6.1.1.2.2 Direct Lysis
- Aspirate the medium
- Add
of TRIzol Reagent per cells directly to the culture dish to lyse the cells - Use a cell scraper to scrape the cells off the plate
- Transfer the lysate to a 1.5mL microfuge tube
6.1.1.3 Cells grown in suspension:
- Pellet the cells by centrifugation and discard the supernatant.
- Add
of TRIzol Reagent per of sample ( cells from animal, plant, or yeast origin or cells of bacterial origin) to the pellet. - Pipet the lysate up and down several times to homogenize
The sample volume should not exceed 10% of the volume of TRIzol Reagent used for lysis.
Samples can be stored at
If samples have a high fat content, centrifuge the lysate for
6.1.1.4 Lysis and Phase Separation Cont.
- Vortex for
- Incubate for
to permit complete dissociation of the nucleoproteins complex - In the fume hood, add
of chloroform per 1 mL of TRIzol Reagent used for lysis, then securely cap the tube- For
TRIzol, add chloroform
- For
- Mix by shaking, for about
- This is best done putting the tubes on one rack, then sandwiching another rack atop the lids. Grab the whole sandwich and shake it.
- Incubate for
- Centrifuge samples for
at at . The mixture separates into a lower red phenol-chloroform, and interphase, and a colorless upper aqueous phase - Transfer the aqueous phase containing the RNA to a new tube by angling the tube at 45° and pipetting the solution out
- For a 6-well with
of TRIzol used, tends to be the right amount to take - Avoid transferring any of the interphase or organic layer when removing the aqueous phase.
- For a 6-well with
6.1.1.5 Isolate RNA
6.1.1.5.1 Precipitate the RNA
- (Optional but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) Add
of RNase-free glycogen as a carrier to the aqueous phase - Add
of isopropanol to the aqueous phase per of TRIzol used for lysis- For
TRIzol, add isopropanol
- For
- Vortex for a few seconds until mixed.
- Incubate for
- Centrifuge for
at at- Total RNA precipitate forms a white gel-like pellet at the bottom of the tube.
- Aspirate the supernatant
- It is helpful to take most of the volume out with a P1000, then remove the liquid closer to the pellet with a P200
6.1.1.6 Wash the RNA
- Resuspend the pellet in 1mL of 75% ethanol per 1 mL of TRIzol Reagent used for lysis.
- For
TRIzol, add 75% ethanol - Note: The RNA can be stored in 75% ethanol for at least 1 year at
, or at least 1 week at
- For
- Vortex briefly
- Centrifuge for
at at - Aspirate the supernatant
- It is helpful to take most of the volume out with a P1000, then remove the liquid closer to the pellet with a P200
- You can speed up the drying time, and increase your 260/230 metrics, by gently flicking the pellet to dislodge the liquid from it, then using a P20 or aspirator to remove the dispersed droplets not containing the pellet.
- Let the pellet air dry, just before the pellet turns clear.
- If the pellet overdries, it may not solubilize and may have a low A260/A280.
- Add
of RNAse-free water to each pellet - Incubate at
for - Store the RNA at
.
6.2 RNA (mirVana)
This kit is much more expensive per sample than TRIzol, but tends to produce purer results. It’s typically only necessary for higher-stakes experiments like sequencing, but not for qPCR.
6.2.1 Lysing Cells
- Take 6 well plate from incubator.
- Aspirate off medium, then gently add
PBS/well. - Aspirate off PBS, then add
lysis buffer/well - Incubate at RT for
- Use a cell scraper1 to scrape cells from the bottom of the well
1 Cat# 83.3950
- Don’t forget to get all the edges
- Try not to let the scraper skip
- After scraping the bottom of the well, tilt the plate and sweep the lysate to the bottom to allow for easy transfer.
- Use a new scraper for each well
- Transfer lysate to regular 1.5mL microfuge tube
- Put on ice
6.2.2 Organic Extraction
- Add
2 miRNA Homogenate Additive - Vortex
- Put on ice for
- Add
phenol:chloroform
2 A ‘volume’ refers to the pre-miRNA-Homogenate-Additive volume. If you follow this protocol,
Perform addition of phenol:chloroform and transfer of upper phase to a new tube under the fume hood - phenol:chloroform vapors are toxic.
- Vortex for
- Centrifuge at
for - Put phenol:chloroform away
- Remove upper phase, transfer to fresh 1.5mL microfuge tube
Err on the side of caution to avoid disturbing lower phase. As a rule of thumb, if you add 300uL lysis buffer, remove ~200uL. Your mileage may vary.
Make sure to note the volume of upper phase removed.
6.2.3 Total RNA Isolation
- Add
100% EtOH - Vortex
- Spin3 up to
sample through filter cartridge into collection tube - Aspirate flow through
- Add
Wash Solution 1, spin, and aspirate - Add
Wash Solution 2/3, spin, and aspirate - Add
Wash Solution 2/3, spin, aspirate, and spin for - Transfer filter to fresh collection tube
- Add
H2O, spin - Measure concentration, 260/280, and 260/230 via NanoDrop
3 Henceforth for this protocol, ‘spin’ =
6.2.4 TURBO DNA-free Treatment
Anywhere between
- Add
of 10X TURBO DNase Buffer to RNA - Add
TURBO DNase to RNA - Mix gently
- Incubate at
for - Vortex DNase Inactivation Reagent to resuspend, then add
(minimum )
If the reagent is dried up and can’t be pipetted, determine how much volume of reagent there is, then add 25% of that volume of nuclease-free water.
- Incubate at
for , flicking every - Centrifuge at
for for 1.5mL tubes, or for for 96-well plates. - Transfer supernatant to labelled tube for storage. Store at
Ensure you do not get any of the pellet.
6.3 DNA
- Centrifuge
cells for at - Remove supernatant
- Add
PBS - Add
proteinase K - Add
5mg/mL RNAse A. Incubate for at RT. - Add
Buffer AL - Add
100% ethanol. Vortex thoroughly. - Transfer solution to DNeasy Mini spin column place in a 2mL collection tube.
- Spin for
at - Discard collection tube and replace with a fresh one.
- Add
Buffer AW1 - Spin for
at - Discard collection tube and replace with a fresh one.
- Add
Buffer AW2 - Spin for
at - Discard collection tube and replace with a permanent collection tube.
- Add
nuclease-free H2O - Incubate for
- Spin for
at
6.4 Protein
6.5 Histones
6.5.1 Reagent Preparation
Briefly centrifuge small vials at low speed prior to opening. Prepare fresh reagents immediately prior to use.
6.5.1.1 1X Pre-Lysis Buffer
- Dilute
of 10X Pre-Lysis Buffer with nano-pure water
6.5.1.2 Balance-DTT Buffer
- Add
of DTT Solution to of Balance Buffer
6.5.2 Sample Preparation
6.5.2.1 Tissues
- Weigh the sample and record its mass
- Cut the sample into small pieces (1-2 mm³) with a scalpel or scissors.
- Transfer the tissue pieces to a Dounce homogenizer.
- Add
of 1X Pre-Lysis buffer to homogenizer - Disaggregate tissue pieces by 50-60 strokes
- If total mixture volume is less than 1mL, transfer mixture to a 1.5mL microfuge tube and centrifuge at
for at . Otherwise, transfer homogenized mixture to a 15 mL conical tube and centrifuge at for at . - Remove supernatant.
6.5.2.2 Cells
- In the hood, trypsinize and resuspend cells in medium in a 15mL conical
- Count the number of cells to determine the volume of reagents required for each sample (see info box)
7 Calculating Required Reagent Volume
Calculate the total number of cells suspension by multiplying the volume of the suspension by the concentration of cells
To calculate the amount of:
Pre-lysis buffer needed, divide the number of cells by
Lysis buffer needed, divide the number of cells by
BDTT needed, multiply the amount of lysis buffer needed by
- Pellet the cells at
for at and remove the supernatant - Re-suspend cells in the 1X Pre-Lysis Buffer at
- Lyse cells on ice for
, flicking every - If lysates were prepared in a 1.5mL microfuge tube, centrifuge at
for at . If prepared in a 15mL conical, centrifuge at for at . - Remove supernatant.
7.0.1 Extraction Protocol
- Re-suspend pellet in 3 volumes (approximately 200 µL/10^7 cells or 100 mg of tissue) of Lysis Buffer. If not in a 1.5mL tube, transfer it to one.
- Incubate on ice for
- Centrifuge at
for at - Transfer the supernatant fraction (containing acid-soluble proteins) to a fresh 1.5mL microfuge tube
- Immediately add
of the Balance-DTT Buffer to the supernatant (e.g., 0.3 mL of Balance-DTT Buffer to 1 ml of supernatant). - Store the extract at
for several days, or for long-term storage. Avoid repeated thawing and freezing.