1. A sensitive method for detecting variation in copy numbers of duplicated genes.
- Author
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Pielberg G, Day AE, Plastow GS, and Andersson L
- Subjects
- Alleles, Animals, Female, Genes, Dominant genetics, Genetics, Population methods, Genotype, Hair Color genetics, Male, Pedigree, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit genetics, Sensitivity and Specificity, Sequence Analysis, DNA methods, Sequence Analysis, DNA statistics & numerical data, Swine, Algorithms, Gene Dosage, Genes, Duplicate genetics, Genetic Variation genetics
- Abstract
Gene duplications are common in the vertebrate genome, and duplicated loci often show a variation in copy number that may have important phenotypic effects. Here we describe a powerful method for quantification of duplicated copies based on pyrosequencing. A reliable quantification was obtained by amplification of the duplication break-point and a corresponding nonduplicated sequence in a competitive PCR assay. A comparison with an independent method for quantification based on the Invader technology revealed an excellent correlation between the two methods. The pyrosequencing-based method was evaluated by analyzing variation in copy number at the duplicated KIT/Dominant white locus in pigs. We were able to distinguish haplotypes at this locus by combining the duplication breakpoint test with a diagnostic test for a functionally important splice mutation in the duplicated gene. An extensive allelic variation, including the presence of a new allele carrying a single KIT copy expected to encode a truncated KIT receptor, was revealed when analyzing white pigs from commercial lines.
- Published
- 2003
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