Question about extracting ancient DNA
toby at stein.u.washington.edu
Thu Jul 29 12:50:14 EST 1993
In article <23904o$i2e at alnitak.usc.edu> jangus at alnitak.usc.edu (Jim Angus) writes:
>I manage the new Molecular Systematics Laboratory at the Natural History
>Museum of Los Angleles County. PCR technology will allow the amplification
>of as little as a single molecule of DNA. Ancient DNA however has several
>problems. It is highly fragmented and cross linked. Cross linked
>regions can not be amplified. Contamination is also a huge problem. I
>know someone who tried to PCR recent whale bone DNA and got dog DNA because
>dogs had been chewing the remains.
>I've heard that people are attempting to PCR dinosaur bones, but I haven't
>heard anything positive.
>A problem with blood. Red blood cells contain little DNA.
Bird and reptile RBCs are nucleated, and contain loads of DNA.
>cells do, but are far more rare in blood. So when looking for dinosaur
>DNA in blood in an insect trapped in amber, it is far more likely that
>you'll end up amplifying insect, plant or some other contaminating DNA.
>You'd need primers VERY specific to dinosaurs or reptiles.
Toby Bradshaw |
Department of Biochemistry | Will make genetic linkage maps
and College of Forest Resources | for food.
University of Washington, Seattle |
toby at u.washington.edu |
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