An efficient method for total RNA extraction from leaves of arboreal species from the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract Considering the lack of information on RNA extraction from arboreal species, specially from the Brazilian Cerrado, the aim of this study was to test RNA extraction methods for a wide variety of native plant species from this biome. The methods tested consisted of: (i) TRIzol® reagent, (ii) TRIzol® reagent with modifications, (iii) CTAB buffer, and (iv) Modified CTAB buffer, initially for leaf samples of Xylopia aromatica and Piper arboreum. Later the procedure with the best results was used to obtain purified RNA from 17 other native species. Based on A260/A280 absorbance ratio the Modified CTAB method was the best for total RNA extraction for those woody species. Ten out of eleven species tested through RT-PCR generated fragments of the expected size from the total RNA extracted by the selected method, confirming it as the best option to obtain high-quality RNA for molecular analyses and for use in the detection of viruses infecting these tree species.