Development of Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends

Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique which was developed to facilitate the cloning of full-length cDNA 5' and 3' ends after a partial cDNA sequence has been obrained by other methods. While RACE can yield complete sequences of cDNA ends in only a few days, the procedure frequently results in the exclusive amplification of truncated cDNA ends, undermining efforts to generate full-length clones. Many investigators have suggested modifications to the RACE protocol to improve the effectiveness of the technique. The review presents numerous published variations of the key steps in the RACE method. Also included is a detailed, effective protocol of RNA ligase-mediated RACE/ligation-anchored PCR.