Patent ID: 6960436

Claim:
A method for the cytosine methylation detection in a DNA sample, comprising the following steps: a) a genomic DNA sample is treated in a manner capable of distinguishing methylated from unmethylated cytosine bases; b) the pre-treated DNA is amplified using at least one oligonucleotide primer, a polymerase and a set of nucleotides of which at least one is marked with a first type of label; c) a sequence-specific oligonucleotide or oligomer probe is hybridized to the amplification product and a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurs if the oligonucleotide or oligomer probe, marked with a second type of label, binds in close proximity to one of the labeled nucleotides that was incorporated into the amplification product; d) the level of methylation of the sample is determined by the level of interaction between said first and second type of label.