Variable number of tandem repeat locus (

VNTR A variable number tandem repeat (or VNTR) is a location in a genome where a short nucleotide sequence is organized as a tandem repeat. These can be found on many chromosomes, and often show variations in length (number of repeats) among individ ...

locus) is any DNA sequence that exist in multiple copies strung together in a variety of tandem lengths. The number of repeat copies present at a locus can be visualized by means of a Multi-locus or

Multiple Loci VNTR Analysis Multiple loci VNTR analysis (MLVA) is a method employed for the genetic analysis of particular microorganisms, such as pathogenic bacteria, that takes advantage of the polymorphism of tandemly repeated DNA sequences. A "VNTR" is a "variable-number ...

(

MLVA Multiple loci VNTR analysis (MLVA) is a method employed for the genetic analysis of particular microorganisms, such as pathogenic bacteria, that takes advantage of the polymorphism of tandemly repeated DNA sequences. A "VNTR" is a "variable-number ...

). In short,

oligonucleotide Oligonucleotides are short DNA or RNA molecules, oligomers, that have a wide range of applications in genetic testing, research, and forensics. Commonly made in the laboratory by solid-phase chemical synthesis, these small bits of nucleic acids ...

primers are developed for each specific tandem repeat locus, followed by PCR and

agarose gel electrophoresis Agarose gel electrophoresis is a method of gel electrophoresis used in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and clinical chemistry to separate a mixed population of macromolecules such as DNA or proteins in a matrix of agarose, one of the ...

. When the length of the repeat and the size of the flanking regions is known, the number of repeats can be calculated. Analysis of multiple loci will result in a genotype.

References

Genetics {{Genetics-stub