Study of MICA alleles in 201 African Americans by multiplexed single nucleotide extension (MSNE) typing.

We have developed a method for major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A (MICA) genotyping using multiplexed single nucleotide extension (MSNE) and flow cytometric analysis of an array of fluorescent microspheres. This technique employs a polymerase chain reaction-derived target DNA containing all the polymorphic sites of MICA, synthetic complementary primers, biotinylated dideoxynucleotide triphosphate, fluorescent reporter molecules (streptavidin-phycoerythrin), and thermophilic DNA polymerase. Genomic DNA was amplified by MICA locus-specific primers and the MSNE reactions were carried out in the presence of 30 MSNE primers used to assay polymorphisms in exons 2, 3, and 4 of the MICA genes.