The READIT assay as a method for genotyping NAT110 polymorphisms

Polymorphisms in the N-acetyltransferases (NATs) have been associated with increased risks for the development of a variety of cancers. The NAT1*10 allele, for example, has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of colon and urinary bladder cancers, among others. Therefore, considerable effort is being placed on the development of genotyping methodologies for NAT activities both for pharmacological as well as disease preventative applications. Most NAT genotyping approaches are gel based and consist of PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, allele-specific PCR, or both. Although these approaches have their utility, they are slow, labor intensive, and are not amenable to automation. Recently, a novel approach to genotyping known as the READIT Assay has been introduced. The READIT methodology involves a reversal of the DNA polymerase reaction to generate dNTPs through the phosphorolytic cleavage of oligonucleotide probe molecules annealed to target DNAs. In a coupled reaction, kinase converts the resulting dNTPs to ATP. ATP production is then monitored by the addition of luciferase, generating a light signal proportional to the amount of dNTPs generated through probe depolymerization. We describe the development of a READIT genotyping protocol for the analysis of NATs using the NAT1*10 allele as a model system and demonstrate its utility for the analysis of archival dried blood specimens. We applied this technology to genotype 678 DNAs at the NAT-1088T --> A polymorphic site, and 680 DNAs for the 1095C --> A polymorphism. We report complete concordance for the 1088T --> A polymorphism for all 678 genotypes previously determined by RFLP analysis.