Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!hoss!news
From: rdonis@crcvms.unl.edu
Newsgroups: bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts
Subject: RNA to cDNA then PCR
Message-ID: <1990Oct24.205531.26856@hoss.unl.edu>
Date: 24 Oct 90 19:36:46 GMT
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Organization: UNL Computing Resource Center
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We are amplifying a viral RNA by PCR. This requires an initial 
reverse transcription from RNA to cDNA. We set up a control in which 
this reverse transcription was carried out without primers. After 
amplification by PCR we see that the cDNA prepared without primers 
actually works *better* than with them. I was expecting a negative 
result in the PCR amplification  of cDNA prepared without primers.
Since we are using viral RNA extracted from infected cells it may be 
that there is a cellular RNA/DNA that primes reverse transcription. 
Has anybody seen something like this? 
Thank you for your comments, if numerous I will post summary to net.
Ruben Donis
University of Nebraska
rdonis@crcvms.unl.edu
rdonis@unlvax1.bitnet
402/472-6063