

analysis and precise measurement of the examined. The use of touchdown PCR is essential when the sequence of the primer might not match that of the target-for example, if the sequence of the primer has been deduced from amino acid sequences, when the template DNA may contain several closely related targets, or when the target DNA is of a different species from that used to design the primers. The other advantages of qPCR are sensitivity, real time detection of reaction pr ogress, speed of. Touchdown PCR has been utilized in laboratory-developed multiplex tests for stool parasites, Vibrio cholerae serotypes, antimicrobial resistance genes, and Propionibacterium acnes phylogroups 35,36,37,38. To minimize mispriming during the early stages of the PCR, touchdown PCR should always be performed in conjunction with a hot start protocol. In touchdown PCR, the annealing temperature of the first few cycles is set to be a few degrees higher than the highest melting temperature (Tm) of the primers. Touchdown PCR was originally utilized to simplify the process of determining optimal PCR annealing temperatures. By then, the target sequence will have undergone several cycles of geometric amplification and therefore becomes the dominant product of the PCR. In subsequent cycles, the annealing temperature is gradually decreased by a small amount so that by the end of the PCR, the annealing temperature is 2☌-5☌ below the calculated T m of the primers. Four touchdown steps at 66☌, 63☌, 60☌ and 57☌ were manually added to the PCR cycling program. Multiplex touchdown PCR assay to enhance specificity and sensitivity for concurrent detection of four foodborne pathogens in raw milk Journal of Applied Microbiology Oxford Academic AbstractAims. Annealing under conditions of high stringency favors the formation of perfect primer-template hybrids. In touchdown PCR the temperature selected for the annealing step is initially set 5☌-10☌ higher than the calculated T m of the primers. What is touchdown PCR NEB FAQ: What is touchdown PCR It is a method for increasing specificity of PCR reactions. "Touchdown polymerase chain reaction (PCR)" is a method to decrease off-target priming and hence to increase the specificity of PCRs. (A 250 bp secondary band also appeared, presumably because it also gained a competitive advantage over the smaller products during the touchdown PCR.
