Non-radioactive detection of the most common mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene by multiplex allele-specific polymerase chain reaction.

A rapid, simple, nonradioactive method for detection of four common mutations causing cystic fibrosis (CF) has been developed combining multiplexing with allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification. This approach (MASPCR) provides an easy assay for direct genotyping of normal and mutant CF alleles in homozygotes and heterozygotes. The strategy involves multiplex PCR of exons 10, 11, and 21 within the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene in a single reaction containing three common oligoprimers and either the four normal or four mutant oligos corresponding to the delta F508, G551D, G542X, and N1303K mutations. Primers are chosen so that the size of the four PCR products differ, thereby facilitating detection on agarose gels following amplification in the same reaction. Patient samples are primed with either four normal or four mutant oligo mixtures, and PCR products run in parallel on gels to detect band presence or absence. This approach provides a simple and potentially automated method for cost-effective population screening.