[Histonet] RNAses on glass slides

[Johnson, Teri]

Dearest colleagues,

Again I need some information that can be exceedingly difficult to find in the literature. There is a question here as to whether slides used for ISH (in our case, plus/charged slides) need to be treated with DEPC or other RNAse inhibitor prior to using to mount tissue sections for subsquent mRNA ISH. We have never done this and the practice is now coming into question as a possible mechanism for giving inconsistent results with a researcher's project.

Our current practice includes new blade, new box of slides, use gloves, wipe down the microtome and all utensils with RNAse Away, clean out waterbath glass and use DEPC water in waterbath. Up until now, it seems to have been adquate.

Thank for any help you can give me.

Teri Johnson, HT(ASCP)QIHC
Managing Director Histology Facility
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
1000 E. 50th St.
Kansas City, MO 64110