Twin zygosity. Automated determination with microsatellites.
OBJECTIVE
Twin zygosity determinations can be performed with anthropologic, serologic and genetic markers; however, these methods are more than occasionally inefficient, often expensive and sometimes inaccurate. We used microsatellites as DNA markers and developed a largely automated, rapid and efficient method of determining zygosity.


METHODS
We used five highly polymorphic short tandem repeat loci, coamplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using fluorescence-labeled primers. Thirty-six samples were simultaneously analyzed by electrophoresis and laser detection. The PCR products were sized by automated fragment analysis.


RESULTS
We typed 132 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. With five markers, the probability that any twin pair was MZ if all markers were concordant was 99%.


CONCLUSIONS
This method is a rapid and reliable approach to zygosity detection.
Becker
A
A
Franz-Volhard Clinic, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
Busjahn
A
A
Faulhaber
H D
HD
Bähring
S
S
Robertson
J
J
Schuster
H
H
Luft
F C
FC
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics*; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D004247:DNA