Selecting DNA fragments for mutation detection by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis: application to the p53 gene cDNA.

Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) and related methods are widely employed to detect mutations in DNA fragments. DNA melting map calculations and GC clamps have been used to enhance the detection of mutations. While generally successful, these methods have not always revealed base changes within a DNA fragment. Previous work suggested that mutations are detected if they are in a DNA's first melting domain, and the melting domain is well separated from final strand dissociation. Two criteria from the DNA melting theory were established to determine when both of these conditions are met. The criteria involve calculating the derivative melting curve as well as the melting map of a DNA sequence. The approach was applied to the cDNA sequence of the human p53 gene. Mutations in the p53 gene are common in human cancers and are generally located in four 'hot spot' regions. Calculations indicated that three DNA fragments are needed to detect base substitutions in the four hot-spot regions. Predicted melting behavior was experimentally tested with eight single base substitutions distributed among the four hot-spot regions. All mutations tested behaved as predicted and were detected by vertical TGGE. Heteroduplex DNAs formed by melting and reannealing various ratios of wild type and mutant DNA fragments were also examined. Results indicated that point mutations can be detected by ethidium bromide staining from samples containing 10% mutant and 90% wild-type sequences.