If small RNAs are originated from one source with different lengths (20-24nt), how can I distinguish them? Is Stem-loop PCR method useful to distinguish them??
If you dont know the sequences, stem loop method will not work. I offer you to ligase an adaptor to your small RNAs than perform cDNA synthesis by adaptor spesific primer. Than you can sequence them all.
Dear Enes Yağız Akdaş, Thank you for your suggestion. I know the sequence. I also use adapter primer for cDNA synthesis and confirm it successfully. But it is difficult to distinguish different length of small RNA with same sequence.
. I am guessing, the sequences are as follows, one end is fixed, the other end varies. So let's say you have two sequences acacggccgtgtattactgt and acacggccgtgtattactgtGCGAGA.
You use a standard adaptor primer for the left hand end to make cDNA
You then use the same primer as the left hand primer for PCR.
For the right hand end you need two adaptor primers, each with a 10 base adaptor at the 3' end. The adaptors are different. You see which primer is able to amplify and what the Ct is on the PCR machine
Primer R1, its 3' 10 bases bind to gtattactgt -- thus will amplify both targets
Primer R2, its 3' 10 bases bind to ctgtGCGAGA - thus will amplify only the long target.
So if R1 amplifies but R2 doesnt - you have the short RNA
If R1 and R2 both amplify -you have the long RNA.
As well as the primers - you'll need to order two "artificial templates", ie synthetic RNA molecules, to test the system out.
PCR is good for distinguishing between species of molecule - and measuring how much of each is present. I suspect there are already published methods, for doing what you want.
What did you mean by " it is difficult to distinguish different length of small RNA with same sequence"? (in your later post). If two RNA with the same sequence, don't they should have the same length?