DNA isolation from algae and marine seaweeds is tricky due to polysaccharides and polyphenol compounds present within the thalli of many species. Grinding plant material in liquid nitrogen and column based isolation methods are often difficult to perform since these plant material release viscous soluble polysaccharides that may clog the column and pose a problem in downstream applications. Furthermore, a procedure that works with one algal group will often fail with others, probably because of the diversity of cell wall, storage, and secondary compounds

We have therefore, developed a modified surfactant based protocol, which is an easy method for DNA isolation from algal sample. This surfactant forms complexes with polysaccharides at specific salt concentrations. At lower salt concentrations, that surfactant complex with nucleic acids. Chlorophyll and some denatured proteins are removed from the plant tissue in an organic chloroform/iso amyl step and the organic phase is separated by centrifugation. The DNA recovered is suitable for enzyme digestion, Southern blotting and analysis by PCR.

Application:

• PCR and Real-time PCR
• Sequencing
• RAPD and microsatellite analysis
• RFLP, AFLP, and Southern blot
• Construction of genomic libraries.
• Hybridization
• Cloning