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Mini-STR

Definition

A PCR assay in which both primers sit within a few base pairs of the STR repeat, producing amplicons as short as 70-80 base pairs. Used when conventional kits fail due to DNA fragmentation below 200 bp.

Related terms

Amplicon
The double-stranded DNA fragment produced between two PCR primers. In forensic STR typing, amplicon size determines whether a locus can be recovered...
Depurination
Hydrolytic cleavage of the N-glycosidic bond between deoxyribose and a purine base (adenine or guanine), generating an abasic (apurinic) site. Abasic sites...
Interlocus Drop-Out
Failure of larger-amplicon loci to amplify in a degraded-DNA sample while shorter loci succeed. Results in a partial profile that includes only...
Taq Polymerase
Thermostable DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus, the enzyme that makes PCR practical. Stable at 95°C, it extends primers in the 5'-to-3' direction...

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