MicroRNA Expression Profiling of Rat Blood and Brain Tissues: TaqMan Real-Time PCR MicroRNA Assays

Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke alters microRNA (miRNA) expression in animals and patients. The recent discovery of miRNAs as key regulators of gene function has introduced a new level and mechanism of gene regulation, with estimates that greater than one-third of all human genes may be regulated by miRNAs. TaqMan real-time PCR is a specific, sensitive, and accurate method for assessing miRNA expression, allowing direct analysis in a single cell without the need for nucleic acid purification. This chapter introduces a brief history of Taqman real-time PCR, required materials and procedures, software, and statistical analysis.