Mutation detection using mass spectrometric separation of tiny oligonucleotide fragments

This article describes a DNA mutation detection method based on base-specific cleavage of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products and their separation by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry. The technique is validated by its ability to detect a polymorphism in the 3' untranslated region of ILI2p40 from a double-stranded PCR product and a single nucleotide polymorphism between two mouse strains.