Extraction of total RNA from a high pigment content plant. Marigold (Tagetes erecta)

The Mexican marigold (Tagetes erecta) produces inflorescences of intense yellow color that contain high levels of xanthophylls, particularly lutein, which makes it a suitable model for the study of carotenoid biosynthesis and regulation throughout the development of the inflorescences. However, these studies require the recovery of total RNA from floral buds and inflorescences at different developmental stages, each of which presents specific extraction problems. Four protocols were tested, but only through the modification of one of them was it possible to obtain total RNA of sufficient quality and quantity to perform RT-PCR and Northern blots and to construct a cDNA library. This article presents the modified protocol for the recovery of total RNA from carotenoid-rich plant tissues.