Trehalose improves PCR amplification of vertebrate nuclear DNA from historical allozymes

Historical tissue collections represent potential resources for temporal genetic studies in evolutionary and conservation biology. Unfortunately, DNA from historical samples stored without modern genetic analyses in mind, such as frozen allozyme homogenates, are often degraded and contaminated with PCR inhibitors. Here, we report the successful use of trehalose for improving PCR amplification of degraded, vertebrate nuclear DNA extracted from cryopreserved allozymes. We amplified and sequenced two nuclear genes (MLC2a and RPL12) from allozymes of the Shasta salamander, Hydromantes shastae. Our results demonstrate the potential of trehalose as a tool for utilizing historical allozyme collections in modern genetic studies.