Real-time PCR methods to study expression of genes related to hypermutability.
O'Sullivan, Denise M;
(2010)
Real-time PCR methods to study expression of genes related to hypermutability.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, NJ), 642.
pp. 63-73.
ISSN 1064-3745
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-279-7_5
Permanent Identifier
Use this Digital Object Identifier when citing or linking to this resource.
Pathogenic bacteria can have sub-populations of hypermutable bacteria. This sub-population has a higher spontaneous mutation rate than the majority of the population which can be attributed to defects in proofreading and repair mechanisms. This leads to the evolution of drug-resistant strains of bacteria through genetic change. It is important to study the expression of genes involved in, for example, mismatch repair and the SOS system by real-time PCR to determine hypermutability and therefore provide an indicator of the mutagenic ability of certain strains of pathogenic bacteria.
