DNA from ticks - (Nov/08/2010 )

Hello,
What is the best method for extracting DNA from ticks ?
I heard of a heating method of ticks in a solution of ammonium.
Thanks in advance
Lilia

Do you want the tick DNA or the the DNA from the blood the tick ate?

I have not heard about the ammonium method, but it might work as well.

For ticks I would try a Chelex method: you prepare 10% Chelex solution, squash the ticks, and incubate it for some hours at 65 °C, add Proteinase K, centrifuge, dilute and have ready to use tick DNA for standard PCR applications. Most commercial kits and standard DNA extraction procedures based on detergent, chloroform, EtOH will also work, which method to use depends on your budged and lab equipment.

If interested in blood, I would suggest a kit.

A salting out protocol such as from Aljanabi & Martinez (1997): Universal and rapid salt-extraction of high quality genomic DNA for PCR-based techniques. Nucleic Acids Research 25: 4692–4693. should do the job for tick DNA. If you need the blood from the engorged females, I'd use a hollow needle/cannula from a syringe to get the blood without contamination with tick tissue and stuff and then continue with a kit (as suggested above).