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VNTR (Variable Number Tandem Repeat)

Definition

A tandemly repeated genomic sequence with a longer repeat unit (typically 10, 60 bp) than an STR. VNTRs were used in the first-generation RFLP DNA fingerprinting systems of the 1980s and early 1990s before PCR-based STR typing became practical.

Related terms

Amelogenin
A gene on both the X and Y chromosomes used for sex determination in forensic STR kits. The X-allele amplicon is approximately...
CODIS
The FBI's Combined DNA Index System, the US national STR-based forensic DNA database. Contains profiles from convicted offenders, arrestees, and unidentified crime-scene...
ESS (European Standard Set)
The set of STR loci required for profiles entered into EU national databases participating in Prüm cross-border DNA exchange. Currently aligned with...
Heterozygosity
The proportion of individuals in a population who carry two different alleles at a locus. A locus with high heterozygosity is more...
STR (Short Tandem Repeat)
A genomic locus where a 2, 7 base-pair unit is repeated in tandem a variable number of times between individuals. The variation...

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