RAPD analysis is a technique for rapidly detecting genomic polymorphisms. A single, short oligonucleotide primer of arbitrary sequence is used under low stringency conditions in PCR to generate a reproducible array of strain-specific products that are analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Under these conditions, genomic polymorphisms can be detected at multiple loci using only nanogram quantities of DNA. RAPD analysis has been used in numerous applications, including gene mapping, detection of strain diversity, population analysis, epidemiology and the analysis of phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships (2).

The RAPD reactions are provided as dried beads that contain all the necessary PCR components, except primer, in concentrations optimized for RAPD analysis. Beads are provided in thin-walled 0.5 ml tubes compatible with most thermal cyclers. Each package of Ready-To-Go RAPD Analysis Beads contains sufficient reagents for 100 individual RAPD reactions: RAPD analysis beads, control E. coli BL21 DNA, control E. coli C1a DNA, RAPD analysis primer 2, and instruction booklet (DNA from two E. coli strains and RAPD analysis primer 2 are provided as controls to assay the ability of the RAPD beads to amplify DNA and identify polymorphisms).

RAPD Analysis Kit consists of Ready-To-Go RAPD Analysis Beads and six primers that can be used with RAPD Analysis Beads. Each primer in the set is an arbitrary 10-mer that is specifically designed for use in RAPD analysis. The primers are supplied lyophilized and can be reconstituted with 500 μl of sterile distilled water to give a final concentration of 5 pmol/μl.

References

1. Williams, J. G. et al. Nucl. Acids Res. 18, 6531 (1990). 2. Welsh, J. et al. PCR 2: A Practical Approach, McPherson, M. J., Hames. B. D. and Taylor, G. R., eds., Chapter 11, IRL Press (1995).