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Screening DNA Repeat Tracts of Phase Variable Genes by Fragment Analysis

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Neisseria meningitidis

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1969))

Abstract

Fragment analysis (or fragment length analysis) is a PCR-based method which allows quantification of the size and proportion of a DNA repeat tract length of a phase-variable region. Primers are labeled with a fluorescent dye, the resulting amplicons are processed by capillary electrophoresis, and results are analyzed for amplicon size and proportion by associated software (such as Peakscanner). Here we describe the process of designing primers and controls to screen for the number of repeats in a polymeric tract of a phase-variable gene in Neisseria meningitidis (the DNA methyltransferase ModA is used as an example, but this method can be applied to other phase-variable genes).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Freda E. -C. Jen, Kate L. Seib & Aimee Tan

Authors
  1. Freda E. -C. Jen
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  2. Kate L. Seib
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  3. Aimee Tan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kate L. Seib .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute For Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia

    Kate L. Seib

  2. Institute For Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia

    Ian R. Peak

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Jen, F.EC., Seib, K.L., Tan, A. (2019). Screening DNA Repeat Tracts of Phase Variable Genes by Fragment Analysis. In: Seib, K., Peak, I. (eds) Neisseria meningitidis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1969. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9202-7_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9202-7_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9201-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9202-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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