METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AN UNKNOWN ALLELE

摘要

The invention provides a method for identifying an unknown allele of a polyallelic gene, which method comprises (i) contacting the unknown allele with a panel of probes, each of which recognises a sequence motif that is present in some alleles of the polyallelic gene but not in others; (ii) observing which probes recognise the unknown allele so as to obtain a fingerprint of the unknown allele; and (iii) comparing the fingerprint with fingerprints of known alleles. The use of a panel of probes which each recognises a different motif allows identification of which motifs are present in the unknown allele. The alleles of the polyallelic gene each have a unique combination of motifs and so identification of this combination (or "fingerprint") leads to identification of the unknown allele.