An efficient procedure for genotyping single nucleotide polymorphisms

Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has been and will be inc reasingly utilized in various genetic disciplines, particularly in studying genetic determinants of complex diseases. Such studies will be facilitated by rapid, simple, low cost and high throughput methodologies for SNP genot yping. One such method is reported here, named tetra-primer ARMS-PCR, which employs two primer pairs to amplify, respectively, the two different allel es of a SNP in a single PCR reaction. A computer program for designing prim ers was developed. Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR was combined with microplate array diagonal gel electrophoresis, gaining the advantage of high throughput for gel-based resolution of tetraprimer ARMS-PCR products. The technique was a pplied to analyse a number of SNPs and the results were completely consiste nt with those from an independent method, restriction fragment length polym orphism analysis.