title: Quantification of PCR bias caused by a single nucleotide polymorphism in SMN gene dosage analysis.
abstract: Approximately 94% of patients with spinal muscular atrophy lack both copies of SMN1 exon 7, and most carriers have only one copy of SMN1 exon 7. We described previously the effect of SMN1/SMN2 heteroduplex formation on SMN gene dosage analysis, which is a multiplex quantitative PCR assay to determine the copy numbers of SMN1 and SMN2 using DraI digestion to differentiate SMN2 from SMN1. We describe herein the quantification of PCR bias between SMN1 exon 7 and SMN2 exon 7, which differ by only one nucleotide that is not present in either primer binding site. Using samples from 272 individuals with various SMN genotypes, we found that the amplification efficiency of SMN2 was consistent only approximately 80% that of SMN1. Thus, even a single nucleotide polymorphism, not in primer binding sites, can cause reproducible PCR bias. The precision and accuracy of our SMN gene dosage analysis are high because our assay design and controls take advantage of the consistency of the PCR bias. As additional clinically significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are discovered, assessment of PCR bias, and judicious selection of standards and controls, will be increasingly important for quantitative PCR assays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sogino@partners.org
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D005091:Exons; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018628:Gene Dosage; D005838:Genotype; D020180:Heteroduplex Analysis; D006801:Humans; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes / Q000032:analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000592:standards*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055532:SMN Complex Proteins; D055533:Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein; D055540:Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D055532:SMN Complex Proteins; C526471:SMN1 protein, human; C526477:SMN2 protein, human; D055533:Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein; D055540:Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein