CCR: a rapid and simple approach for mutation detection.

We describe a simple approach for detecting known mutations in genomic DNA. The strategy entails a DNA amplification reaction that combines the use of thermostable DNA polymerase and ligase, and that has been designated the Combined Chain Reaction (CCR). CCR consists of four phases: denaturation, annealing, elongation and ligation. Unlike most PCR-based mutation detection systems it relies on mismatch between primer and template at the primer 5'ends. It is rapid and simple, and requires neither the use of radioactivity, nor polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, nor autoradiography for mutation detection at the single base-pair level.