Simple Method to Genotype the ACTN3 r577x Polymorphism

The alpha-actinin-3 r577x polymorphism (rs1815739) is one of the most important polymorphisms associated with athletic performance. This single-nucleotide mutation leads to a premature stop codon, resulting in a nonfunctional protein product. The presence of the dominant R allele is associated with full power skeletal muscle contraction. Homozygosity for the X allele is correlated with more efficient energy disposure. Restriction fragment length polymorphism and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are the standard methods used to genotype this polymorphism, but they are expensive and require special equipments. Here, we present a simple and cost-efficient method to genotype the ACTN3 r577x polymorphism by a single PCR. External primers yield a 690-bp product that indicates the template quality. Internal primers produce a 413-bp product if the R allele is present and a 318-bp product if the X allele is present. Our four-primer genotyping PCR was validated by the standard real-time PCR, generally used to genotype this single-nucleotide polymorphism, demonstrating the accuracy of this method. This protocol is perfect for small- or large-scale cohort genotyping of the ACTN3 r577x polymorphism.