coral vs zoox dna quantification

[Bill Burnett]

> Dear colleagues,
> I've asked some molecular biologists who work with corals, but up to now 
> none has been able to give me a clear answer.

You expected a clear answer from a molecular biologist?

> Does any of you have an idea how much of the total rna and dna in a sample 
> from a coral would be from the host, respectively from the symbiont?

That probably depends on all sorts of things, like relative amounts 
of tissue of host and zoox, which depends on species, and zoox 
abundance, which varies in response to environment (bleaching being 
the extreme case...).  "It depends...." - That's why no one can give 
you a clear answer.

For what it's worth, there's enough zoox and host DNA in any one 
sample to cause you a genuine headache.  If you're wanting to 
sequence something, make sure you've got damn good specific primers.  
If you're looking to make a library, then either use isolated zoox in 
culture or zoox free tissue - sperm, or eggs for some spp.

HTH,

Bill


-------------------------------------
Bill Burnett   w.j.burnett at ncl.ac.uk
University of Newcastle upon Tyne