Discrimination among the human beta A, beta S, and beta C-globin genes using allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization probes.

Synthetic nonadecanucleotides complementary to the human beta A-, beta S-, or beta C-globin sequences were used as hybridization probes to screen human genomic DNA samples for these genes. The oligonucleotides were 32P-labeled and used as probes to genotype restriction endonuclease digests of human genomic DNA. The data obtained show that hybridization with oligonucleotide probes, unlike restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis or direct restriction enzyme digestion, can be used to directly distinguish among the three alleles of beta-globin, beta A, beta S, and beta C, when present either in one (heterozygous) or two copies.