This document summarizes the process of DNA isolation. DNA isolation involves purifying DNA from a sample using physical and chemical methods. It generally aims to separate DNA present in cell nuclei from other cell components. The main steps are: 1) preparing a cell extract by lysing cells, 2) purifying DNA from contaminants using methods like ethanol precipitation or phenol-chloroform extraction, 3) concentrating the DNA samples, usually with ethanol precipitation, and 4) measuring DNA purity and concentration using UV spectrophotometry. Sources for DNA isolation can be diverse, including tissues, blood, hair, and more, from living or dead organisms.

1. DNA ISOLATION

2. INTRODUCTION
• DNA isolation is a process of purification of DNA
from sample using a combination of physical and
chemical methods.
• The first isolation of DNA was done in 1869
by Friedrich Miescher.
• Methods used to isolate DNA are dependent on the
source, age, and size of the sample.
• In general, they aim to separate DNA present in the
nucleus of the cell from other cellular components.
• Isolation of DNA is needed for genetic analysis,
which is used for scientific, medical, or forensic
purposes.

3. • Scientists use DNA in a number of applications, such
as introduction of DNA into cells and animals or
plants, or for diagnostic purposes, in medicine the
latter application is the most common.
• On the other hand, forensic science needs to recover
DNA for identification of individuals (for example
rapists, petty thieves, accident, or war victims),
paternity determination, and plant or animal
identification.
• Presence of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides and some
other organic or inorganic compounds in the DNA
preparation can interfere with DNA analysis methods.
• They can also reduce the quality of DNA leading to its
shorter storage life.

4. SOURCES
• Sources for DNA isolation are very diverse.
• Basically it can be isolated from any living or dead
organism.
• Common sources for DNA isolation include
whole blood , hair, sperm , bones, nails, tissues, blood
stains, saliva , buccal (cheek) swabs, epithelial cells,
urine, paper cards used for sample collection,
bacteria, animal tissues, or plants.
• Stored samples can come from archived tissue
samples, frozen blood or tissue, exhumed bones or
tissues, and ancient human, animal, or plant samples.

5. PROCEDURE
• Isolation of DNA basically consists of four major
steps.
i. Preparation of a cell extract.
ii. Purification of DNA from cell extract.
iii. Concentration of DNA samples.
iv. Measurement of purity of DNA concentration.

6. 1. Preparation of a cell extract:
• To extract DNA from a tissue/cells of interest, the cells
have to be separated and the cell membranes have to be
disrupted.
• The "Extraction buffer" helps in carrying out these
processes.
• Chemicals such as EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra
Acetate) which removes Mg2+ ions that are essential for
preserving the overall structure of the cell membrane,
and SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) which aids in
disrupting the cell membranes by removing the lipids of
the cell membranes are included in the extraction
buffer.

7. • Having lysed the cells, the final step in the
preparation of a cell extract is removal of insoluble
cell debris.
• Cell debris and partially digested organelles etc. can
be pelleted by centrifugation leaving the cell extract
as a reasonably clear supernatant.

8. 2. Purification of DNA from cell extract.
• In addition to DNA the cell extract will contain
significant quantities of detergents, proteins, salts
and reagents used during cell lysis step and RNA.
• A variety of procedures can be used to remove these
contaminants, leaving the DNA in a pure form.
• The most commonly used procedures are:
i. Ethanol precipitation.
ii. Phenol–chloroform extraction.
iii. Minicolumn purification.

9. 1. Ethanol precipitation
• Ethanol precipitation usually by ice-cold ethanol
or isopropanol.
• Since DNA is insoluble in these alcohols, it will
aggregate together, giving a pellet upon
centrifugation.
• Precipitation of DNA is improved by increasing of
ionic strength, usually by adding sodium acetate.

10. 2. Phenol–chloroform extraction.
• Phenol–chloroform extraction in which phenol
denatures proteins in the sample.
• After centrifugation of the sample, denaturated proteins
stay in the organic phase while aqueous phase
containing nucleic acid is mixed with
the chloroform that removes phenol residues from
solution.
3. Minicolumn purification.
• Minicolumn purification that relies on the fact that
the nucleic acids may bind (adsorption) to the solid
phase (silica or other) depending on the pH and the salt
concentration of the buffer.

11. 3. Concentration of DNA samples
• The most frequently used method of concentration is
ethanol precipitation.
• In the presence of salt and at a temperature of -20°C
or less, absolute ethanol will efficiently precipitate
polymeric nucleic acids.
• With a concentrated solution of DNA one can use a
glass rod to pull out the adhering DNA strands while
for dilute solutions precipitated DNA can be
collected by centrifugation and redissolving in an
appropriate volume of water.

13. 4. Measurement of purity of DNA
concentration.
• DNA concentrations can be accurately measured by UV
absorbance spectrometry.
• The amount of UV radiation absorbed by a solution of
DNA is directly proportional to the amount of DNA
sample.
• Usually absorbance is measured at 260 nm, at this
wave length an absorbance of 1.0 corresponds to 50 µg
of double-stranded DNA per ml.

14. • With a pure sample of DNA the ratio of the
absorbancies at 260 nm and 280 nm (A260/A280) is
1:8.
• Ratios of less than 1:8 indicate that the preparation
is contaminated, either with protein or with phenol.

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