Background: DNA sequencing has markedly changed the nature of biomedical research. Large-scale sequencing projects have generated several millions of potential polymorphisms widespread in the human genome requiring validation and incorporation into screening panels. As a consequence, high-throughput analysis of these variants in different populations of interest is now the cornerstone of structural genomics. Pyrosequencing is a versatile technique allowing an easy 96-well typing format. However, every polymorphism requires a specific labeled primer to generate a single-stranded DNA fragment containing the region of interest.
Methods: We describe how with an adjusted primer stoichiometry we can standardize the labeling of every amplicon with a single biotinylated universal primer (BM13S).
Results: We circumvent the need for specific biotinylated primers for each single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) under study. As an example, we assessed this novel protocol by genotyping three SNPs mapping calpain-10, caveolin-1 and CYP19A1.
Conclusion: The present approach represents an alternative to standard pyrosequencing protocols, since it requires a single biotinylated primer that is suitable for each SNP under study.