Separation of long RNA by agarose-formaldehyde gel electrophoresis

We describe a method to facilitate electrophoretic separation of high-molecular-weight RNA species, such as ribosomal RNAs and their precursors, on agarose-formaldehyde gels. Two alternative "pK-matched" buffer systems were substituted for the traditionally used Mops-based conductive medium. The key advantages include shortened run times, a 5-fold reduction in formaldehyde concentration, a significantly improved resolution of long RNAs, and consistency in separation. The new procedure has a streamlined work flow that helps to minimize errors and is broadly applicable to agarose gel electrophoresis of RNA samples and their subsequent analysis by Northern blotting.