Northern Blotting and RNA Detection

Teresa Zimmers‐Koniaris, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0000997

Northern blotting is a means of identifying a certain RNA species in a complex mixture of RNA. Commonly used to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the expression of a gene, Northern blotting involves isolation of RNA, size fractionation of the denatured RNA through gel electrophoresis, transfer of the separated RNA to a membrane, hybridization with a specific probe, and detection.

Keywords: blotting; northern blotting; RNA blotting; hybridization

Figure 1. Flowchart indicating the steps of Northern blotting and detection of RNA.
Figure 2. Diagram of Northern blotting by the ascending capillary transfer method of Southern (Southern, 1975). The agarose gel containing the size-fractionated RNA (left) is placed on a stack of blotting paper which acts as a wick to draw the buffer through the gel, through the membrane and into the blotting paper and paper towels. RNA from the gel becomes immobilized on the membrane.
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Related Sub-Topics:

Techniques and Tools in Clinical Genetics | Gene Expression Profiling of Genetic Disease | RNA Structure and Function | Techniques and Tools in Molecular Biology
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Article Title: Northern Blotting and RNA Detection
 
How to Cite close
Zimmers‐Koniaris, Teresa(Apr 2001) Northern Blotting and RNA Detection. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0000997]