Why is an oligo dT primer used during synthesis of the first DNA strand of cDNA?

Oligo (dT)18 Primer is suitable for use as a primer for first strand cDNA synthesis with a reverse transcriptase. The primer hybridizes to the poly-adenylated tail found on the 3´ end of most eukaryotic mRNAs. Oligo (dT)18 ensures that the 3´ end of mRNAs are represented.

What is oligo dT primer used for?

Oligo (dT)20 Primer is designed to initiate the synthesis of cDNA from total RNA in a reverse transcription reaction, where Reverse Transcriptase is starting the reaction from the poly-A-end of mRNA. It can also be used for generation of labeled cDNA to screen microarrays.

Why is Oligo dT an effective primer for reverse transcriptase?

Oligo(dT) primers are a favorite choice for two-step cDNA synthesis reactions because of their specificity for mRNA and because they allow many different targets to be studied from the same cDNA pool. Choosing the best oligo(dT) primer may depend in part on the temperature of the reverse transcription.

What are the steps involved in cDNA synthesis?

Perform cDNA synthesis Reverse transcription reactions involve three main steps: primer annealing, DNA polymerization, and enzyme deactivation. The temperature and duration of these steps vary by primer choice, target RNA, and reverse transcriptase used. The critical step is during DNA polymerization.

What primer is needed for cDNA?

First-strand synthesis of cDNA utilizes either oligo(dT), random primers, or a combination of these strategies to prime the reverse transcription reaction. Priming a reaction with oligo(dT) initiates the synthesis preferentially at the 3′ end of the RNA fragment.

What is Oligo dT chromatography?

CIMmultus™ Oligo dT is a chromatography column with Oligo dT ligands covalently bound on its surface. The sample containing poly-adenylated mRNA is loaded onto the column in a high salt concentration buffer. Before product elution, a wash step at reduced salt concentration removes unspecifically bound contaminants.

Can oligo dT act as a primer for reverse transcriptase?

To initiate reverse transcription, reverse transcriptases require a short DNA oligonucleotide called a primer to bind the RNA template and serve as a starting point for synthesis of a new strand. In some cases both oligo(dT) and random primers can be used to combine the benefits of both primer types.

How do you make a cDNA primer?

Denature the template-primer mixture for 10 minutes at +65°C before adding reverse transcriptase. Use random hexamer primers or gene-specific primers. Use reverse transcriptases which allow reverse transcription at higher temperatures, such as the Transcriptor First Strand cDNA Synthesis Kit.

Does reverse transcriptase require a primer to begin cDNA synthesis?

Primer selection. To initiate reverse transcription, reverse transcriptases require a short DNA oligonucleotide called a primer to bind to its complementary sequences on the RNA template and serve as a starting point for synthesis of a new strand.

What is anchored oligo dT?

Anchored Oligo(dT)20 Primer is a primer mixture consisting of a string of 20 deoxythymidylic acid residues followed by dV (either dG, dA, or dC) and then by dN (dA, dT, dG, or dC). Anchored Oligo(dT)20 Primer is recommended for use in cDNA labeling protocols and in RT-PCR.

What is dT primer?

Used for first-strand cDNA synthesis with reverse transcriptase at temperatures of >=50°C, oligo(dT)20 primer is a string of 20 deoxythymidylic acid residues that hybridizes to the poly(A) tail of mRNA. Quality Control: This product is qualified in a first-strand cDNA synthesis reaction.

Can I use oligo(dT) primers for cDNA synthesis?

Also, bear in mind that if your PCR primers are designed near the 5’ end of a gene, the use of oligo (dT) primers for cDNA synthesis is not the best idea. Since these primers anneal to the 3’ end of mRNA, the 5’ end may not be present in the extended product, especially if you are investigating a large gene.

What is the maximum length of an oligo (dT) primer?

They are available in various lengths, with the most common being 12-18 nucleotides long. Oligo (dT) primers are designed so that they bind to the complementary poly (A) tails of messenger RNA (mRNA). Therefore, oligo (dT)s are only useful in cDNA reactions when mRNAs are the target for the downstream application.

Do oligo(dT) primers anneal to non-polyA mRNA fragments?

They will not anneal to non-polyA mRNA fragments, such as 18S rRNA. Also, bear in mind that if your PCR primers are designed near the 5’ end of a gene, the use of oligo (dT) primers for cDNA synthesis is not the best idea.

How do you Prime cDNA for reverse transcription?

cDNA Synthesis Priming Methods Affect Results First-strand synthesis of cDNA utilizes either oligo (dT), random primers, or a combination of these strategies to prime the reverse transcription reaction. Priming a reaction with oligo (dT) initiates the synthesis preferentially at the 3’ end of the RNA fragment.