A method to extract intact and pure RNA from mycobacteria.

We describe a high-yielding, simple, and aerosol-free protocol for the isolation of RNA from mycobacteria that does not require sophisticated instruments. The method yielded 50 μg of RNA from 10(7) cells, 50 times more than a recently reported method. Our method can extract total RNA from aerobically grown bacteria and from in vitro hypoxia-induced dormant bacilli and mycobacteria residing within infected macrophages.