Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed–Polymerase Chain Reaction and Capillary Electrophoretic Analysis of Human DNA on Microchip-Based Devices

Abstract

Random amplification of the human genome using the degenerate oligonucleotide primed–polymerase chain reaction (DOP-PCR) was performed in a silicon–glass chip. An aliquot of the DOP-PCR amplified genomic DNA was then introduced into another silicon–glass chip for a locus-specific, multiplex PCR of the dystrophin gene exons in order to detect deletions causing Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy. Amplicons were analyzed by both conventional capillary electrophoresis and microchip electrophoresis and results were compared to those obtained using standard non-chip-based PCR assays. Results from microchip electrophoresis were consistent with those from conventional capillary electrophoresis. Whole genome amplification products obtained by DOP-PCR proved to be a suitable template for multiplex PCR as long as amplicon size was <250 bp. Successful detection and resolution of all PCR products from the multiplex PCR clearly shows the feasibility of performing complex PCR assays using microfabricated devices.