Whole Genome Amplification and Its Impact on CGH Array Profiles
Author Information
Author(s): Bente A Talseth-Palmer, Nikola A Bowden, Alyssa Hill, Cliff Meldrum, Rodney J Scott
Primary Institution: University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute
Hypothesis
Does whole genome amplification (WGA) produce reliable and reproducible results in comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) experiments?
Conclusion
The use of both amplified test and reference DNA on CGH arrays may not provide an accurate representation of copy number variation in DNA.
Supporting Evidence
- WGA resulted in a high proportion of losses and gains of genomic material.
- Amplification bias was reported in previous studies using WGA.
- The study found low reproducibility in chromosomal locations of observed gains and losses.
Takeaway
When scientists use a method to make more DNA from small samples, it doesn't always work well, and the results can be confusing.
Methodology
Six array CGH experiments were performed comparing whole genome amplified DNA to unamplified DNA.
Potential Biases
The use of different WGA methods may introduce bias, affecting the comparability of results.
Limitations
The study found that WGA creates random gains and losses of genomic material that are not reproducible.
Participant Demographics
DNA was extracted from whole blood of 2 healthy controls (1 male, 1 female) and 1 male patient in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website