PCR combined with temperature gradient gel electrophoresis is a rapid and very sensitive screening method for point mutations. It may be used to identify exons or other DNA segments with abnormal electrophoretic mobility which are then subjected to DNA sequencing. Computer aided design of PCR primers for denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and the careful choice of a suitable temperature range is the most important warranty for the success of the screening. The program was written, to facilitate the design of PCR primers fulfilling the requirements for a sensitive mutation screening. It supports the new concept of bipolar clamping which is important when mono-polar TGGE leads to fuzzy bands.
The MS-DOS program tggedemo.exe starts an animation which explains the melting processes of DNA-fragments during TGGE.
