Can I use TaqMan Gene Expression Assays for a gene copy number study?
TaqMan Gene Expression Assays with “_s1” as assay ID suffix are the assays whose primers and probes are designed within a single exon, and therefore, will detect genomic DNA. However, the application of these assays in gene copy number studies has not been validated. Other gene expression assays will not detect gDNA, let alone the region of variance.
What type of samples should be run with TaqMan Copy Number Assays?
These assays target regions of variance that are found in genomic DNA.
Do I need to do a validation test before I use the ΔΔCt method to determine the copy number of the target gene?
If you are using our copy number assays and reference assays, this is not necessary.
Where can I get reference samples for TaqMan Copy Number Assays?
We recommend that you check the DGV (database of genomic variants) database for your CNV of interest. Not all regions of variance have control samples available, but if there are controls for your CNV, the DGV will list some Coriell sample ids. You can then order these control samples from Coriell.
How many reactions can I get from each TaqMan Copy Number Assay?
TaqMan Copy Number Assay are available in 3 different sizes: small, medium and large. For the small size assays, they consist of two primers and a FAM-MGB TaqMan probe in a 20X formulation; enough for 360 - 20ul reactions. For more details, please see the TaqMan Copy Number Assays Protocol.