Southern Blot: Employs a restriction endonuclease enzyme to cleave DNA in the cell nucleus. DNA detection is done using agarose gel electrophoresis. The DNA from the electrophoresis gel is typically transferred to specially treated paper or membrane and the DNA is detected by a hybridization oligonucleotide probe. (The probe is required to detect the target after the enzyme digestion, electrophoresis, and blot procedures.)
Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH): Uses DNA or RNA techniques to detect targets of interest in cytology/histology specimens or other nucleic acid variations. This method commonly uses specific staining of DNA sequences by a fluorescence-labeled DNA or RNA probe. The FISH procedure involves denaturation of the targeted DNA, hybridization of the DNA to a single-stranded fluorescence-labeled DNA probe, followed by analysis of the fluorescence signal.
DNA fingerprinting: Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP): This technique analyzes specific variations in DNA sequences. The method cuts long DNA into shorter fragments before detection to isolate changes or polymorphisms. RFLP is used to distinguish individuals, populations, or species, or to pinpoint the locations of genes within a sequence. These sequences can typically be detected by Southern Blot.
