The diagnosis of familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 (FDB) has been facilitated by the use of mutagenic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers to introduce restriction sites at the FDB gene locus. We describe a two-test strategy for diagnosing FDB that overcomes the potential for error in single-test methods based on such techniques. We introduce an Sau96I restriction site for PCR products...

A new method for DNA diagnostics based on template-directed primer extension and detection by fluorescence polarization is described. In this method, amplified genomic DNA containing a polymorphic locus is incubated with oligonucleotide primers (designed to hybridize to the DNA template adjacent to the polymorphic site) in the presence of allele-specific dye-labeled dideoxyribonucleoside tripho...

INTRODUCTION Despite the medical progress in treatment. Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a serious global health problem. A genome-wide linkage study identified a major susceptibility locus on chromosomal region 8q12-q13 in Moroccan TB patients. The CYP7A1 gene is located in this region and codes for cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase, an enzyme involved in cholesterol catabolism. METHODS We selecte...

BACKGROUND Obesity may have a role in the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Single-nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene have been associated with obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate SNPs rs8050136, rs9939609, and rs1421085 of the FTO gene in women with GDM and their associations with maternal pre-pregnancy weight and b...

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) is one of the CYP450 mixed-function oxidase system that is of clinical importance due to the large number of drug interactions associated with its induction and inhibition. In addition, significant inter-individual differences in the elimination of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 enzyme have been observed which are largely due to the highly polymorphic nature of CYP1A2 ...

Insertion of the T3 DNA polymerase thioredoxin binding domain (TBD) into the distantly related thermostable Taq DNA polymerase at an analogous position in the thumb domain, converts the Taq DNA polymerase from a low processive to a highly processive enzyme. Processivity is dependent on the presence of thioredoxin. The enhancement in processivity is 20-50-fold when compared with the wild-type Ta...

Taq DNA polymerases in which the phenylalanine is substituted by a tyrosine at position 667 (Taq F667Y) are members of a new class of DNA polymerases that incorporate chain-terminating dideoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (ddNTPs) much more efficiently than the wild-type Taq DNA polymerase. Improved incorporation of ddNTPs into DNA during cycle sequencing using AmpliTaq DNA polymerase, FS (Taq-F...

BACKGROUND There is a need for assessments of psychological difference and disorder in people who have more severe intellectual disability (ID). Hyperactivity and impulsivity are two behavioural domains of importance as they are correlated with self-injury and aggression and this alludes to a shared cognitive correlate of compromised behavioural inhibition. Additionally, compromised behavioural...

BACKGROUND Cell-free fetal DNA circulating in maternal blood has potential as a safer alternative to invasive methods of prenatal testing for paternally inherited genetic alterations, such as cystic fibrosis (CF) mutations. METHODS We used allele-specific PCR to detect mutated CF D1152H DNA in the presence of an excess of the corresponding wild-type sequence. Pfx buffer (Invitrogen) containin...

Background: Cell-free fetal DNA circulating in maternal blood has potential as a safer alternative to invasive methods of prenatal testing for paternally inherited genetic alterations, such as cystic fibrosis (CF) mutations. Methods: We used allele-specific PCR to detect mutated CF D1152H DNA in the presence of an excess of the corresponding wild-type sequence. Pfx buffer (Invitrogen) containin...