The use of the LightCycler for the detection of Y chromosome SNPs

A novel methodology based on PCR monitoring on-line with fluorescent format s using the LightCycler for Y chromosome SNP typing is proposed. The main a dvantages of the system are the time necessary for the analysis (which is a round 20 min), the robustness and the accuracy of the method and especially its sensitivity, which permits the detection of the male component in male -female mixtures up to 1:300 for some of the SNPs. Singleplexes of four different SNPs (M9, sY81, SRY-1532 and SRY-2627) as we ll as two duplexes (M9 and sY81 on the one hand and SRY-1532 and SRY-2627 o n the other) were efficiently implemented. A simultaneous amplification and analysis of the four SNPs is also possible. It seems difficult with the cu rrent methodology to implement more than a quadruplex. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sc ience ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.