Rapid isolation of cDNA by hybridization

The isolation of genes from a given genomic region can be a rate-limiting step in the discovery of disease genes. We describe an approach to the isolation of cDNAs that have sequences in common with large genomic clones such as bacterial artificial chromosomes. We applied this method to loci both amplified and deleted in cancer, illustrating its usage in the identification of both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, respectively. The method, called rapid isolation of cDNAs by hybridization (RICH), depends on solution hybridization, enzymatic modification, and amplification/selection of sequences present in both cDNA populations and the genomic clones. The method should facilitate the development of transcription maps for large genomic clones, possibly even yeast artificial chromosomes.