Abstract
The amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) is an amplification strategy in which a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer is designed in such a way that it is able to discriminate among templates that differ by a single nucleotide residue (1),2) ARMS has also been termed allele-specific PCR (3) or PCR amplification of specific alleles (PASA) (2). Thus, an ARMS primer can be designed to amplify a specific member of a multi-allelic system while remaining refractory to amplification of another allele that may doffer by as little as a single base from the former. The main advantage of ARMS is that the amplification step and the diagnostic steps are combined, in that the presence of an amplified product indicates the presence of a particular allele and vice versa. For routine diagnosis, this characteristic of ARMS means that It is a very time-efficient method. However, this combination of the amplification and diagnostic steps has resulted in a system that may not be as robust as some of the other methods in which these two important steps are separated, e.g., PCR followed by restriction enzyme analysis,
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Newton, C. R., Graham, A., Heptinstall, L. E., Powell, S. J., Summers, C, Kalsheker, N., Smith, J.C., and Markham, A. F. (1989) Analysis of any point mutation in DNA. The amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). Nucleic Acids Res 17, 2503–2516.
Bottema, C. D. K., Sarkar, G., Cassady, J. D., Li, S., Dutton, C.M., and Sommer, S. S. (1993) Polymerase chain reaction amplification of specific alleles: a general method of detection of mutations, polymorphisms, and haplotypes. Methods Enzymol. 218, 388–402.
Wu, D. Y., Ugozzoli, L., Pal, B. K, and Wallace, R. B. (1989) Allele-specific enzymatic amplification of beta-globin genomic DNA for diagnosis of sickle cell anemia. Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA 86, 2757–2760
Lo, Y. M. D. and Mehal, W. Z. (1995) Non-Isotopic Methods in Molecular Biology: A Practical Approach Oxford Universiy Press, Oxford, UK.
Lo, Y. M. D., Mehal, W. Z., Wordsworth, B. P., Chapman, R. W., Fleming, K. A., Bell, J.I., and Wainscoat, J. S. (1991) HLA typing by double ARMS. Lancet 338, 65,66
Fortina, P., Dotti, G., Conant, R., Monokian, G., Parrella, T., Hitchcock, W., Rappaport, E., Schwartz, E., and Surrey, S. (1992) Detection of the most common mutations causing beta-thalassemia in Mediterraneans using a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (MARMS). PCR Meth. Appl. 2, 163–166.
Kotze, M. J., Theart, L., Callis, M., Peeters, A. V., Thiart, R., and Langenhoven, E. (1995) Nonradioactive multiplex PCR screening strategy for the simultaneous detection of multiple low density lipoprotein receptor gene mutations. PCR Meth. Appl. 4, 352–356.
Lo, Y. M. D., Patel, P., Newton, C. R., Markham, A. F., Flemmg, K.A., and Wainscoat, J. S. (1991) Direct haplotype determination by double ARMS: specificity, sensitivity and genetic applications. Nucleic Acids Res 19, 3561–3567.
Ruano, G., Kidd, K. K., and Stephens, J. C. (1990) Haplotype of multiple polymorphisms resolved by enzymatic amplification of single DNA molecules. Proc Natl. Acad Sci USA 87, 6296–6300.
Li, H. H., Cui, X F, and Arnheim, N.(1990) Direct electrophoretic detection of the allelic state of single DNA molecules in human sperm by using the polymerase chain reaction. Proc Natl. Acad. Sci USA. 87, 4580–4584.
Lo, Y. M. D. (1994) Detection of minority nucleic acid populations by PCR-a review. J. Pathol. 174, 1–6.
Lo, Y. M. D., Roux, E., Jeannet, M., Chapuis, B., Fleming, K. A., and Wainscoat, J. S. (1993) Detection of chimaerism after bone-marrow transplantation using the double amplification refractory mutation system. Br J Haematol 85, 223–226.
Lo, Y. M. D, Fleming, KA., and Wamscoat, J. S. (1994) Strategies for the detection of autosomal fetal DNA sequence from maternal peripheral blood. Ann NY Acad. Sci 731, 204–213.
Kwok, S., Kellogg, D. E., McKinney, N., Spasic, D., Goda, L., Levenson, C., and Sninsky, J. J. (1990) Effects of primer-template mismatches on the polymerase chain reaction: human immunodeficiency virus type 1 model studies. Nucleic Acids Res. l8, 999–1005.
Huang, M. M., Arnheim, N., and Goodman, M. F. (1992) Extension of base mispairs by Taq DNA polymerase: implications for single nucleotide discriminatton in PCR. Nucleic Acids Res. 20, 4567–4573.
Chou, Q., Russell, M., Birch, D. E., Raymond, J., and Bloch, W. (1992) Prevention of pre-PCR mis-priming and primer dimerization improves low-copy-number amplifications. Nucleic Acids Res. 20, 1717–1723.
Lo, E. S. F., Lo, Y. M. D, Tse, C. H., and Fleming, K. A. (1992) Detection of hepatitis B pre-core mutant by allele specific polymerase chain reaction. J. Clin. Pathol. 45, 689–692
Lo, Y M. D., Darby, S., Noakes, L., Whitley, E., Silcocks, P. B. S., Fleming, K. A., and Bell, J. I. (1995) Screening for codon 249 p53 mutation in lung cancer associated with domestic radon exposure Lancet 345
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Dennis Lo, Y.M. (1998). The Amplification Refractory Mutation System. In: Lo, Y.M.D. (eds) Clinical Applications of PCR. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 16. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-499-2:61
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-499-2:61
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-499-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-600-3
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols