title: TaqMan fluorogenic detection system to analyze gene transcription in autopsy material.
abstract: Real-time RT-PCR using a TaqMan fluorogenic detection system is a simple and sensitive assay for quantitative analysis of gene transcription. This method is of potential usefulness in quantifying mRNA of a target gene in autopsy material that has undergone only a small amount of postmortem degradation. The TaqMan fluorogenic detection system can monitor PCR in real time using a dual-labeled fluorogenic hybridization probe (TaqMan probe) and a polymerase with 5'-3' exonuclease activity. The procedures of the quantitative RT-PCR are as follows: RNA is extracted from autopsy material and used to synthesize cDNA by an RT reaction, and the target of interest is amplified and detected by the real-time PCR. The absolute amount of target mRNA in the sample is then determined relative to a standard curve. This chapter describes the methodology of the TaqMan fluorogenic detection system in handling autopsy material in the gene transcription assay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shintani-Ishida
authors.forename: Bao-Li
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D019914:Taq Polymerase; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019914:Taq Polymerase