RNA precipitation after extraction: role of LiCl ?

[faerstd]

Hi,

I have to write my protocol after a course in Molecular Biology, where in one lecture we extracted the RNA from the cells. After doing so, we precipitated the RNA with Ethanol and Lithium chloride for 3 hours.

Now my question: what's the role of LiCl in this precipitation? Wouldn't the RNA be precipitated just with Ethanol?
Can I say LiCl binds to other substances left after the extraction, like DNA ?

have to understand why we used LiCl ..

any ideas? please help.

thanks in advance. faerstd

[MrMistery]

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/20 ... .Mb.r.html

[faerstd]

i'm so stupid.. i searched google indeed, but didn't read that !!!!

so this licl specially gets large dehydrated RNA molecules make aggregates so that the precipitation works better

thanks a lot..