Microsatellite genome screening: rapid non-denaturing, non-isotopic dinucleotide repeat analysis.

The study of reverse genetics has made it possible for scientists to isolate and identify the genes responsible for such human diseases as cystic fibrosis and Duchenne- and Becker-type muscular dystrophy. The expensive and time-consuming process of detecting restriction fragment length polymorphisms by Southern blotting was the only method available to localize these genes. With the discovery of polymorphic microsatellite sequences in the human genome, the speed and ease of which a genome screening can be performed has increased dramatically. This paper reports on advanced methods for detection of microsatellite-repeated sequences making the task of mapping human genes simpler, safer and more economical.