Quantitative genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphisms by allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization on DNA...

Genotyping of SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) has challenged the development of several novel techniques. Most of these methods have been introduced to discriminate binary SNPs in diploid species. In the present study, the quantitative genotyping of SNPs in natural DNA pools of a polyploid organism via DNA microarrays was analysed. Three randomly selected SNP loci were genotyped in the tetraploid species potato (Solanum tuberosum). For each SNP, 24 oligomers were designed, 12 with forward and 12 with reverse orientation. They contained the polymorphic site at one of the positions 11, 14 and 17. Several steps of optimizations were performed, including the 'materials' used and the establishment of hybridization conditions. Glass surfaces were either epoxy- or aldehyde-modified, and allele-specific oligonucleotides contained either SH or NH2 groups. Hybridization stringency conditions were established by varying the concentration of formamide in the hybridization buffer. For SNP BA213c14t7/403, the quantitative discrimination between all four different naturally occurring genotypes could be demonstrated.