Allawi, H.T., Dahlberg, J.E., Olson, S., Lund, E., Olson, M., Ma, W.P., Takova, T., Neri, B.P., Lyamichev, V.I. (2004). Quantitation of microRNAs using a modified Invader assay. RNA 10(7): 1153--1161.
FlyBase ID
FBrf0180664
Publication Type
Research paper
Abstract
The short lengths of microRNAs (miRNAs) present a significant challenge for detection and quantitation using conventional methods for RNA analysis. To address this problem, we developed a quantitative, sensitive, and rapid miRNA assay based on our previously described messenger RNA Invader assay. This assay was used successfully in the analysis of several miRNAs, using as little as 50-100 ng of total cellular RNA or as few as 1,000 lysed cells. Its specificity allowed for discrimination between miRNAs differing by a single nucleotide, and between precursor and mature miRNAs. The Invader miRNA assay, which can be performed in unfractionated detergent lysates, uses fluorescence detection in microtiter plates and requires only 2-3 h incubation time, allowing for parallel analysis of multiple samples in high-throughput screening analyses.