View source for Project talk:Sex typing with amelogenin

What about explaining the principle behind this technique? The primers bind to the amelogenin gene, that is X-linked. Crucial for this method is that the gene on the Y-chromosome (that only men posses) is somewhat different in length than on the X-xhromosome. I cannot access the paper describing these primers at the moment, but the primer probably binds in an intron (which will not be translated into protein)and on the Y-chromosome this intron appears to have a 189 base pair long deletion. Men, who have a Y-chromosome and an X-chromosome will have two pcr products: a 788 bp long product from the Y-chromosome and a 977 bp long product from the X-chromosome. Women will have only the 977 bp product. Great work by the way, I really like what you are doing!