title: Multiplex Amplifiable Probe Hybridization (MAPH) methodology as an alternative to comparative genomic hybridization (CGH).
abstract: Genomic imbalances in locus copy-number are highly significant for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. Rapidly progressing DNA microarray technologies detect such pathogenic copy-number changes in the genome with high throughput, efficiency, and resolution. A variety of different microarray-based approaches have emerged, with array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) being the method of choice in current clinical practice. Here we describe an alternative microarray-based technique called array-MAPH, derived from conventional Multiplex Amplifiable Probe Hybridization (MAPH).The main novelty of array-MAPH is the directed reduction of test DNA complexity prior to hybridization, yielding a mixture of specific probes, identical to target sequences on the microarray and thus increasing hybridization specificity. Unique amplifiable 400-600 bp fragments can be designed for any genomic region of interest, PCR-amplified, and spotted onto arrays as targets. The same sequences are combined into a probe mixture and hybridized to genomic DNA immobilized on a membrane. Bound probes are recovered by quantitative PCR and hybridized to the array. Array-MAPH can be used for the detection of small-scale copy-number changes, thereby providing new insights into the genetic basis of several diseases, including cancer.
authors: Department of Cytogenetics and Genomics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors: Ludmila
authors: L
authors: Kousoulidou
authors: Carolina
authors: C
authors: Sismani
authors: Philippos C
authors: PC
authors: Patsalis
mesh_terms: D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000235:genetics; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D046228:Microarray Analysis / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes