A rapid and mild procedure for the isolation of DNA from mammalian cells

A procedure is described for the isolation of DNA from mammalian cells using polycarbonate filters. This method results in high yields of large-molecular-weight DNA, which is essentially free from protein and RNA. The procedure is rapid (approximately 2 h), does not require organic solvents, and can isolate 1.5–140 μg DNA per filter without the addition of carrier. The isolation of DNA from aflatoxin B₁-treated cells by the filter method is described in order to illustrate its advantages for the preparation of DNA containing lesions of low chemical stability.