Affymetrix releases GeneChip assay for mitochondrial DNA analysis

By Angela McDaniels

Seattle, Dec. 20 - Affymetrix Inc. said it has launched the GeneChip Human Mitochondrial Resequencing Array 2.0, which allows researchers to analyze the entire sequence of the mitochondrial genome in 48 hours.

"We get sequence data from the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Mitochondrial Array about ten times faster than we do with conventional methods," said Bert Smeets, of Maastricht University in the Netherlands, in a company news release.

"Using the array in our studies of complex mitochondrial disease, we've discovered five known pathogenic mutations and more than 70 previously unknown genetic variations in patients, which allow us to explain the pathology in about 25% of the patients."

Affymetrix said the array has several applications including detection of genetic diseases, forensic identification, population genetics and assessment of stem-cell integrity.

Further, the assay uses only three polymerase chain reactions, reducing the cost and time involved in traditional sequencing.

"The robust Affymetrix GeneChip Human Mitochondrial Resequencing Array 2.0 provides a complete picture of variation in the mitochondrial genome, while significantly reducing the time, labor and cost involved in sample preparation," vice president of DNA products Greg Yap said in the release.

"We anticipate that access to complete sequence information for mitochondria on a single array will lead to new discoveries in a wide range of fields including disease genetics, forensic identification and population genetics."

Affymetrix is a biotechnology company based in Santa Clara, Calif.

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