Detection of point mutations in DNA using capillary electrophoresis in a polymer network.

The use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) in a polymer network for single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) is investigated. SSCP is a method to detect DNA point mutations, essential in the diagnosis of several diseases. The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplified p53 gene, a tumour suppressor gene known to be frequently mutated in malignant cells, was subjected to CE analysis. Two single-strand DNA fragments of 372 bp in length differing in only one nucleotide could be separated. We conclude that SSCP using CE in a polymer network is a powerful method for the detection of point mutations in DNA sequences.