Locked nucleic acid probes for enhanced detection of FLT3 D835/I836, JAK2 V617F and NPM1 mutations
- Correspondence to Ilka Warshawsky, Department of Molecular Pathology / L30, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA; warshai{at}ccf.org
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Contributors IW designed the study and wrote the manuscript. FM performed the study.
- Accepted 17 May 2011
- Published Online First 10 June 2011
Abstract
Aims Detecting low-level clinically significant cancer-relevant somatic mutations can be difficult. Several technologies exist for detecting minority mutations. One method is locked nucleic acid (LNA) PCR. In this study, LNA probes were used to enhance the sensitivity for detecting FLT3 D835/I836 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations, the JAK2 V617F mutation and insertion mutations in the nucleophosmin 1 gene.
Methods PCR was performed with and without LNA probes using DNA known to contain FLT3 D835/I836 TKD, JAK2 V617F and NPM1 mutations. FLT3 D835/I836 TKD mutations were detected following EcoRV restriction enzyme digestion and capillary electrophoresis. The JAK2 V617F mutation was detected by melt-curve analysis. NPM1 insertions were detected by capillary electrophoresis.
Results The detection of FLT3 D835/I836, JAK2 V617F and NPM1 mutations was enhanced approximately 10–50-fold using LNA probes. Rare JAK2 double mutants gave abnormal blocking patterns with the LNA probe.
Conclusions Adding LNA probes to existing assays is a simple way to enhance and confirm the detection of mutations, especially those at low levels.
- Colorectal cancer
- diagnosis
- diagnostics
- gall bladder
- haemato-oncology
- haem-oncology
- molecular genetics
- molecular pathology
- oncogenes
- pancreas
- p53
Footnotes
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Funding This study was funded by the Research Program Committee Awards Program at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
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Competing interests None.
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Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
