Detection of Copy Number Changes at Multiple Loci in DNA Prepared from Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue by Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe

With the increasing knowledge on the genetic alterations associated with various cancers, molecular analysis of these alterations on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue is of increasing importance. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) is a novel technique to measure the copy number of up to 45 nucleic acid sequences in a single reaction. This method relies on sequence-specific probe hybridization to genomic DNA followed by multiplex-PCR amplification of the hybridized probe, and semi-quantitative analysis of the resulting PCR products. This method is easy to perform; requiring as little as 50 ng of DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.