DIFFERENTIAL DISPLAY PCR

differential display PCR: translation

Variation of the polymerase chain reaction used to identify differentially expressed genes. mRNA from two different tissue samples is reverse transcribed, then amplified using short, intentionally nonspecific primers. The array of bands obtained from a series of such amplifications is run on a high resolution gel, and compared with analogous arrays from different samples. Any bands unique to single samples are considered to be differentially expressed; they can be purified from the gel, and sequenced and used to clone the full-length cDNA. Similar in aim to subtractive hybridization. See also differential screening.