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Detection of rare mutant alleles in an excess of wild type alleles is increasingly important in cancer diagnosis. Several methods for selective amplification of a mutant allele via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have been reported, but each of these methods has its own limitations. A common problem is that Taq DNA polymerase errors early during amplification generate false positive mutations which also accumulate exponentially. In this paper, we described a novel method using hairpin oligonucleotide blockers that can selectively inhibit the amplification of wild type DNA during LATE-PCR amplification. LATE-PCR generates double-stranded DNA exponentially followed by linear amplification of single-stranded DNA. The efficiency of the blocker is optimized by adjusting the LATE-PCR temperature cycling profile. We also demonstrate that it is possible to minimize false positive signals caused by Taq DNA polymerase errors by using a mismatched excess primer plus a modified PCR profile to preferentially enrich for mutant target sequences prior to the start of the exponential phase of LATE-PCR amplification. In combination these procedures permit amplification of specific KRAS mutations in the presence of more than 10,000 fold excess of wild type DNA without false positive signals.

This protocol describes the design and execution of monoplex and multiplex linear-after-the-exponential (LATE)-PCR assays using a novel reagent, PrimeSafe, that suppresses all forms of mispriming. LATE-PCR is an advanced form of asymmetric amplification that uses a limiting primer and an excess primer for efficient exponential amplification of double-stranded DNA, followed by linear amplification of one strand. Each single-stranded amplicon can be quantitatively detected in real time or at end point. By separating primer annealing from product detection, LATE-PCR enables product analysis at low temperatures. Alternatively, each single strand can be sequenced by a convenient Dilute-'N'-Go procedure. Amplified samples are diluted with individual sequencing primers without the use of columns or spins. We have amplified and then sequenced 15 different single-stranded products generated in a single multiplexed LATE-PCR comprised of 15 pairs of unrelated primers. Dilute-'N'-Go dideoxy sequencing is more convenient, faster and less expensive than sequencing double-stranded amplicons generated via conventional symmetric PCR. The preparation of LATE-PCR products for Dilute-'N'-Go sequencing takes only 30 seconds.

Background: In conventional PCR, total amplicon yield becomes independent of starting template number as amplification reaches plateau and varies significantly among replicate reactions. This paper describes a strategy for reconfiguring PCR so that the signal intensity of a single fluorescent detection probe after PCR thermal cycling reflects genomic composition. The resulting method corrects for product yield variations among replicate amplification reactions, permits resolution of homozygous and heterozygous genotypes based on endpoint fluorescence signal intensities, and readily identifies imbalanced allele ratios equivalent to those arising from gene/chromosomal duplications. Furthermore, the use of only a single colored probe for genotyping enhances the multiplex detection capacity of the assay., Results: Two-Temperature LATE-PCR endpoint genotyping combines Linear-After-The-Exponential (LATE)-PCR (an advanced form of asymmetric PCR that efficiently generates single-stranded DNA) and mismatch-tolerant probes capable of detecting allele-specific targets at high temperature and total single-stranded amplicons at a lower temperature in the same reaction. The method is demonstrated here for genotyping single-nucleotide alleles of the human HEXA gene responsible for Tay-Sachs disease and for genotyping SNP alleles near the human p53 tumor suppressor gene. In each case, the final probe signals were normalized against total single-stranded DNA generated in the same reaction. Normalization reduces the coefficient of variation among replicates from 17.22% to as little as 2.78% and permits endpoint genotyping with >99.7% accuracy. These assays are robust because they are consistent over a wide range of input DNA concentrations and give the same results regardless of how many cycles of linear amplification have elapsed. The method is also sufficiently powerful to distinguish between samples with a 1:1 ratio of two alleles from samples comprised of 2:1 and 1:2 ratios of the same alleles., Conclusion: SNP genotyping via Two-Temperature LATE-PCR takes place in a homogeneous closed-tube format and uses a single hybridization probe per SNP site. These assays are convenient, rely on endpoint analysis, improve the options for construction of multiplex assays, and are suitable for SNP genotyping, mutation scanning, and detection of DNA duplication or deletions.

Pyrosequencing is a highly effective method for quantitatively genotyping short genetic sequences, but it currently is hampered by a labor-intensive sample preparation process designed to isolate single-stranded DNA from double-stranded products generated by conventional PCR. Here linear-after-the-exponential (LATE)-PCR is introduced as an efficient and potentially automatable method of directly amplifying single-stranded DNA for pyrosequencing, thereby eliminating the need for solid-phase sample preparation and reducing the risk of laboratory contamination. These improvements are illustrated for single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping applications, including an integrated single-cell-through-sequencing assay to detect a mutation at the globin IVS 110 site that frequently is responsible for beta-thalassemia.

Traditional asymmetric PCR uses conventional PCR primers at unequal concentrations to generate single-stranded DNA. This method, however, is difficult to optimize, often inefficient, and tends to promote nonspecific amplification. An alternative approach, Linear-After-The-Exponential (LATE)-PCR, solves these problems by using primer pairs deliberately designed for use at unequal concentrations. The present report systematically examines the primer design parameters that affect the exponential and linear phases of LATE-PCR amplification. In particular, we investigated how altering the concentration-adjusted melting temperature (Tm) of the limiting primer (TmL) relative to that of the excess primer (TmX) affects both amplification efficiency and specificity during the exponential phase of LATE-PCR. The highest reaction efficiency and specificity were observed when TmL - TmX 5 degrees C. We also investigated how altering TmX relative to the higher Tm of the double-stranded amplicon (TmA) affects the rate and extent of linear amplification. Excess primers with TmX closer to TmA yielded higher rates of linear amplification and stronger signals from a hybridization probe. These design criteria maximize the yield of specific single-stranded DNA products and make LATE-PCR more robust and easier to implement. The conclusions were validated by using primer pairs that amplify sequences within the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene, mutations of which are responsible for cystic fibrosis.

Conventional asymmetric PCR is inefficient and difficult to optimize because limiting the concentration of one primer lowers its melting temperature below the reaction annealing temperature. Linear-After-The-Exponential (LATE)-PCR describes a new paradigm for primer design that renders assays as efficient as symmetric PCR assays, regardless of primer ratio. LATE-PCR generates single-stranded products with predictable kinetics for many cycles beyond the exponential phase. LATE-PCR also introduces new probe design criteria that uncouple hybridization probe detection from primer annealing and extension, increase probe reliability, improve allele discrimination, and increase signal strength by 80-250% relative to symmetric PCR. These improvements in PCR are particularly useful for real-time quantitative analysis of target numbers in small samples. LATE-PCR is adaptable to high throughput applications in fields such as clinical diagnostics, biodefense, forensics, and DNA sequencing. We showcase LATE-PCR via amplification of the cystic fibrosis CFDelta508 allele and the Tay-Sachs disease TSD 1278 allele from single heterozygous cells.

We present a method for rapid and accurate identification of the normal and DeltaF508 alleles of the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene in single human cells that utilizes LATE (linear after the exponential)-PCR, a newly invented form of asymmetric PCR. Detection of the single-stranded amplicon is carried out in real time, using allele-specific molecular beacons. The LATE-PCR method permits controlled abrupt transition from exponential to linear amplification and thereby enhances the fluorescent signals and reduces variability between replicate samples relative to those obtained using typical real-time PCR. Of 239 single lymphoblasts generating amplification signals, 227 (95%) exhibited signals that met objective quantitative criteria required for diagnosis. Among these samples, 222 were genotyped correctly, for an assay accuracy of 98%. The small number of diagnostic errors was due to allele drop-out among heterozygous lymphoblasts, 4/119 (3.4%), and contamination among homozygous DeltaF508 lymphoblasts, 1/57 (1.8%). LATE-PCR offers a new strategy for preimplantation genetic diagnosis and other fields in which accurate quantitative detection of single copy genes is important.

Amplification of DNA sequencesfrom single cells via PCR is increasingly used in basic research and clinical diagnostics but remains technically difficult. We have developed a cell lysis protocol that uses an optimized proteinase K solution, named QuantiLyse and permits reliable amplification from individual cells. This protocol was compared to other published methods by means of real-time PCR with molecular beacons. The results demonstrate that QuantiLyse treatment of single lymphocytes renders gene targets more availablefor amplification than other published proteinase K methods or lysis in water. QuantiLyse and an optimized alkaline lysis were equally effective in terms of target availability, although QuantiLyse offers greaterflexibility, as it does not require neutralization and can comprise a higher percentage of the final PCR volume. Maximum gene target availability is also obtained following QuantiLyse treatment of samples containing up to 10000 cells (the largest number tested). Thus, QuantiLyse maximizes the chances that targeted DNA sequences will be available for amplification during the first cycle of PCR, thereby reducing the variability among replicate reactions as well as the likelihood of amplification failure or allele drop-out. QuantiLyse will be useful in a range of investigations aimed at gene detection in small numbers of cells.

We describe a highly accurate method for determining the sex of human embryos via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of highly-conserved, moderately-repeated sequences within the TSPY genes on the Y chromosome and the U2 genes on chromosome 17. Individual male lymphocytes, female lymphocytes, and blastomeres from donated cleavage-stage embryos were lysed prior to PCR using an optimized buffer containing proteinase K. Molecular beacons, a new type of fluorescent probe, were used to detect and quantify accumulating amplicons during each cycle of PCR carried out in closed tubes. The present work is part of an ongoing study to construct and implement a new, convenient and reliable system of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).