The Polymerase Chain Reaction / Edition 1

by Kary B. Mullis, J.D. Watson, Francois Ferre, Richard A. Gibbs

Overview

James D. Watson When, in late March of 1953, Francis Crick and I came to write the first Nature paper describing the double helical structure of the DNA molecule, Francis had wanted to include a lengthy discussion of the genetic implications of a molecule whose structure we had divined from a minimum of experimental data and on theoretical argu­ ments based on physical principles. But I felt that this might be tempting fate, given that we had not yet seen the detailed evidence from King's College. Nevertheless, we reached a compromise and decided to include a sentence that pointed to the biological significance of the molecule's key feature-the complementary pairing of the bases. "It has not escaped our notice," Francis wrote, "that the specific pairing that we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material." By May, when we were writing the second Nature paper, I was more confident that the proposed structure was at the very least substantially correct, so that this second paper contains a discussion of molecular self-duplication using templates or molds. We pointed out that, as a consequence of base pairing, a DNA molecule has two chains that are complementary to each other. Each chain could then act ". . . as a template for the formation on itself of a new companion chain, so that eventually we shall have two pairs of chains, where we only had one before" and, moreover, " ...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780817637507
Publisher:	Birkh�user Boston
Publication date:	03/01/1994
Edition description:	1994
Pages:	458
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.39(d)

Table of Contents

One: Methodology.- I. Basic Methodology.- 1. Manipulation of DNA by PCR.- 2. Cloning PCR Products.- 3. Optimization of Multiplex PCRs.- 4. Preparation of Nucleic Acids for Archival Material.- 5. PCR Amplification of Viral DNA and Viral Host Cell mRNAs in Situ.- II. Quantitation.- 6. Quantitative PCR: An Overview.- 7. Quantification of DNAs by the Polymerase Chain Reaction Using an Internal Control.- 8. RT-PCR and mRNA Quantitation.- 9. Analysis of Human T-Cell Repertoires by PCR.- III. Nonisotopic Detection.- 10. Ultrasensitive Nonradioactive Detection of PCR Reactions: An Overview.- 11. Fluorescent Detection Methods for PCR Analysis.- 12. Enzyme-Labeled Oligonucleotides.- 13. Application of the Hybridization Protection Assay (HPA) to PCR.- IV. Instrumentation.- 14. PCR Instrumentation: Where Do We Stand?.- 15. Rapid Cycle DNA Amplification.- 16. Automating the PCR Process.- V. Sequencing.- 17. PCR and DNA Sequencing.- 18. Phage Promoter-Based Methods for Sequencing and Screening for Mutations.- 19. Capture PCR: An Efficient Method for Walking Along Chromosomal DNA and cDNA.- Two: Applications.- I. General Applications.- 20. In Vitro Evolution of Functional Nucleic Acids: High-Affinity RNA Ligands of the HIV-1 rev Protein.- 21. The Application of PCR to Forensic Science.- 22. Recreating the Past by PCR.- 23. Nonbiological Applications.- II. Genetic Analysis.- 24. RT-PCR and Gene Expression.- 25. Fingerprinting Using Arbitrarily Primed PCR: Application to Genetic Mapping, Population Biology, Epidemiology, and Detection of Differentially Expressed RNAs.- 26. Genetics, Plants, and the Polymerase Chain Reaction.- III. Assessment of Therapy Effectiveness.- 27. PCR Assessment of the Efficacy of Therapy in Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Leukemias.- 28. The Detection of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Using Clone-Specific Probes Directed against V(D)J Junctional Sequences.- 29. Assessment of Therapy Effectiveness: Infectious Disease.- 30. Gene Therapy.- IV. Diagnostics.- 31. PCR and Cancer Diagnostics: Detection and Characterization of Single Point Mutations in Oncogenes and Antioncogenes.- 32. Clinical Applications of the Polymerase Chain Reaction.- 33. Infectious Diseases.- Three: PCR and the World of Business.- 34. PCR in the Marketplace.- 35. PCR and Scientific Invention: The Trial of DuPont vs. Cetus.

Editorial Reviews

The first comprehensive handbook on the polymerase chain reaction, invented by Mullis, the 1993 Nobel Prize winner for chemistry. Explains the methodological protocols currently used in major laboratories, potential future enhancements, and applications in diagnostic testing, cancer research, genetics, forensics, plant biology, DNA-sequencing, and other fields. For researchers who are using or would like to use the process. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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