Applications of heteroduplex analysis for mutation detection in disease genes

Double-stranded heteroduplex molecules that form between a mutant and wild-type DNA strand are often distinguished from homoduplex molecules upon gel electrophoresis. This method, heteroduplex analysis (HA), can be performed rapidly without radioisotopes or specialized equipment. Modifications and enhancements of the HA method have been developed that increase the sensitivity of detection of single-base pair alterations. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.1 This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.