TaqMan Genotyping of Insertion/Deletion Polymorphisms

The 5′ fluorogenic (TaqMan) assay has been successfully used in screening for singlenucleotide polymorphisms; the very few steps required and the ability to automate each step allow for high-throughput screening. Insertion/deletion polymorphisms are an important class of markers that can be studied for different applications, such as diagnostics, genome variation, and species identification. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and post-PCR analysis are required to score the insertion or the deletion allele. In this chapter, we describe an expansion of the TaqMan technology for a rapid, high-throughput, screening for insertion/deletion polymorphisms in which the exact endpoints are known. The method requires minimal post-PCR analysis and can be applied to polymorphisms of any size.