title: Development of a simple and sensitive technique for detection of point mutations in the K-ras oncogene.
abstract: We sought to develop a simple and sensitive method based on mutant allele-specific amplification (MASA) for the detection of point mutations in the k-ras oncogene in blood samples. We used MASA and three nested MASA methods to detect a point mutation (GGT-->GAT) in rat DHD cells at codon 12 of exon 1 of the k-ras gene. MASA allowed us to detect one k-ras mutated cell on a background of 10(7) normal cells. The third nested-MASA (nested-MASA.c) method that we developed allowed us to detect one mutated cell among 10(10) normal cells. Our methods should allow the detection of small amounts of mutant k-ras DNA in tissue, serum, and plasma, combining speed with efficiency and specificity.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Research Unit, Albacete General Hospital, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández-Vega
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: García-Olmo
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García-Olmo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers; D011905:Genes, ras; D008722:Methods; D017354:Point Mutation; D051381:Rats; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers