RNA isolation from corals and other cnidarian species using urea-LiCl as a denaturant

A method of RNA isolation using a solution of urea-LiCl as a denaturing agent was tested on stony coral. As the method does not require homogenization of tissues prior to their incubation in the denaturant, specimen collected in the field can be immediately transferred to the urea-LiCl solution. The method was also tested on tissues of other cnidarian species. RNA was isolated from fresh tissues of jellyfish and sea anemones using two protocols - that is, incubations in the urea-LiCl solution were either performed on homogenized tissues or on intact tissues or specimen. RNA quality was evaluated on a bioanalyser.