title: Approaches to messenger RNA detection - comparison of methods.
abstract: Detection of messenger RNA is an important part of current biomedical research, although utilized for decades. This communication endeavors to compare three most commonly used techniques of mRNA detection, i.e. Northern blot, ribonuclease protection assay (RPA), and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Principles and general procedures of these methods are described, and advantages and weaknesses of each are discussed in terms of their specificity, sensitivity, difficulty, time and material demands as well as health and environmental risks. We conclude that choice of any method discussed depends on particular purpose, experience of the researcher, and on laboratory equipment and organization.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Hnevotínská 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dvorák
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pascussi
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Modrianský
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D006801:Humans; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger