What is MLPA?
Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA®) is a method which detects aberrant copy numbers of up to 45 specific nucleic acid sequences in one simple PCR reaction, using a single PCR primer pair. MLPA reactions require only 20 ng of human chromosomal DNA or 10-120 ng total RNA. Applications include the detection of exon deletions/duplications in e.g. the human BRCA1, MSH2 and MLH1 genes; detection of trisomies such as Down syndrome; characterisation of chromosomal aberrations in cell lines and tumour samples; SNP and mutation detection; DNA methylation analysis and relative quantification of mRNA. A conventional multiplex PCR requires one pair of primers for each fragment to be amplified. These primers are present in large amounts during the reaction, resulting in various problems. Firstly, since the efficiency of different primer pairs usually varies, it is difficult to use conventional multiplex PCR for relative quantification of target sequences. Furthermore, small diff
