The cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) method is a technique in
molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and phys ...
for the analysis of
genetic marker A genetic marker is a gene or DNA sequence with a known location on a chromosome that can be used to identify individuals or species. It can be described as a variation (which may arise due to mutation or alteration in the genomic loci) that can be ...
s. It is an extension to the
restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method, using
polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies (complete or partial) of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it (or a part of it) ...
(PCR) to more quickly analyse the results.
Like RFLP, CAPS works on the principle that genetic differences between individuals can create or abolish
restriction endonuclease
A restriction enzyme, restriction endonuclease, REase, ENase or'' restrictase '' is an enzyme that cleaves DNA into fragments at or near specific recognition sites within molecules known as restriction sites. Restriction enzymes are one class ...
restriction sites, and that these differences can be detected in the resulting DNA fragment length after digestion.
In the CAPS method, PCR amplification is directed across the altered restriction site, and the products digested with the restriction enzyme. When fractionated by
agarose
Agarose is a heteropolysaccharide, generally extracted from certain red seaweed. It is a linear polymer made up of the repeating unit of agarobiose, which is a disaccharide made up of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactopyranose. Agarose is ...
or
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the digested PCR products will give readily distinguishable patterns of bands. Alternatively, the amplified segment can be analyzed by
allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) probes, a process that can often be done by a simple
dot blot.
See also
*
RFLP
References
External links
* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/genome/probe/doc/TechCAPS.shtml
DNA profiling techniques
Molecular biology
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