title: Extraction of DNA from mucilaginous tissues of a sea slug (Elysia chlorotica).
abstract: Efforts to study the cellular and molecular biology of the symbiotic association between opisthobranch molluscs and algal chloroplasts have been hampered by the copious amounts of mucus produced by the animals. We report for the first time a procedure for isolating total DNA free of contaminating mucilaginous compounds from the mollusc Elysia chlorotica Gould that harbors photosynthetically active chloroplasts from the siphonaceous alga, Vaucheria litorea C. Agardh. This method involves an initial extraction of fresh or freeze-dried Elysia tissue in absolute ethanol and differential processing of the resultant two-phase pellet. Final purification by CsCl-gradient centrifugation produces high molecular weight DNA suitable for molecular analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-2133.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rumpho
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Mujer
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Manhart
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Pierce
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000235:genetics; D008974:Mollusca / Q000235:genetics*; D009093:Mucus; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization
chemical_list: D004247:DNA