Patent ID: 8507225

Claim:
A method for identifying a number of tandem repeats in the promoter region of a thymidylate synthase gene, the method comprising: (a) amplifying a genomic DNA that comprises tandem repeats in at least the promoter region of the thymidylate synthase gene; (b) contacting, under stringent hybridization conditions, the amplified genomic DNA with either (i) a first oligonucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 and a second oligonucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, or (ii) a first oligonucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of the exact complement of SEQ ID NO:1 and a second oligonucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of the exact complement of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the hybridization conditions are such that hybridization between the first oligonucleotide and the amplified genomic DNA can be detected if three tandem repeats are present, but not if only two tandem repeats are present; (c) detecting whether hybridization between the first oligonucleotide and the amplified genomic DNA has occurred; and (d) identifying the number of tandem repeats as “two” when hybridization is not detected.