Merck Millipore CpG Prader-Willi/Angelman

A differentially methylated site exists in the CpG islands of SNRPN (small nuclear ribonucleoprotein-associated polypeptide N), a candidate gene for Prader-Willi/Angelman Syndrome. Normally, this site is methylated and inactive on the maternal homolog and unmethylated and transcriptionally active on the paternal homolog. In research samples from Prader-Willi individuals, only the methylated allele is present, while samples from Angelman Syndrome (AS) individuals contain only the unmethlyated allele. The CpG WIZ Prader-Willi/Angelman Amplification Kit is used for determining the methylation status of this region by methylation -specific PCR (MSP). The kit contains primers targeted to the CpG island on the SNRPN gene. PCR parameters have been identified such that both primer sets in the kit amplify template under the same conditions. Normal control genomic DNA, which will generate a product with both primer sets, is also included.

Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) is a new technology for sensitive detection of abnormal gene methylation utilizing small amounts of DNA (Herman, 1996 ). This process employs an initial bisulfite reaction to modify the DNA, followed by PCR amplification with specific primers designed to distinguish methylated from unmethylated DNA.