Detection of somatic mosaicism in humans using polymerase chain reaction with random primers

Using the method PCR amplification with random primers, DNA samples from human embryonic organs and tissues were examined. Among 27 oligonucleotide primers tested, 10 primers, producing stable, well-reproducible profiles of amplification products, were chosen for further analysis. With the help of two primers (447 and R45), the differences in RAPD PCR profiles obtained from the tissues of one embryo, were revealed. These differences were associated with the change of mobility, or with the fragment gain/loss in the RAPD profile, and could be caused either by genomic rearrangements, or mutations involving the regions of the DNA-primer pairing. Different epigenetic factors, like methylation, can also play the role in this process.