STUDY OF THE HUMAN CYTOCHROME P450IID6 GENE-TRANSCRIPTION BY THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION METHOD

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used to study genetical ly based disturbances in the synthesis of cytochrome P450IID6. Primers complementary to segments 2070-2090 and 2912-2930 in exons 4 and 6 of the chromosomal gene CYP2D6 were synthesized. Appropriate conditions were found for the amplification of cDNA obtained by reverse transcrip tion of the total RNA from human liver. The length of the fragment obt ained (238 bp) corresponded to the distance between the primer binding sites. Amplification in the presence of DNA of the same origin result ed in the formation of a longer fragment, because of the presence of i ntrons. The chosen amplification conditions enabled us to show that th e RNA fraction from blood cells of people with a high rate of debrisoq uine metabolism contains mRNA transcribed from the CYP2D6 gene, wherea s this mRNA was not found in blood cells of a slow metabolizer.