Construction of human gene libraries from small amounts of peripheral blood: analysis of beta-like globin genes

We describe a rapid procedure for constructing cloned human genomic libraries from small amounts of peripheral blood. High molecular weight DNA is isolated from 5-20 ml peripheral blood, partially cleaved with Eco R1, and 8-22 kb fragments are cloned using bacteriophage Charon 4A and suitable E. coli host. Using the approach we have isolated and characterized several non-alpha globin clones from a Kurdish Jew with homozygous beta thalassemia. The ability to isolate suitable amounts of high molecular weight DNA from peripheral blood provides a relatively simple means of constructing human gene libraries representing a variety of hemoglobin disorders.