[Non-radioactive detection of dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms and its application to genetic diagnosis]

We have developed a rapid and non-radioactive procedure for detecting dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms. Specific primers flanking the repeats were used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The generated allelic fragments were resolved by thin-layer denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualized by improved silver staining. This method is simple, fast and without labelling of PCR products. Resolution of 1 bp can be easily obtained. It can also be used in multiplex PCR analysis of (CA)n loci. This method will be a valuable tool for linkage analysis and DNA diagnosis as demonstrated by its successful application to the CA dinucleotide repeat haplotying of a DMD family.