ABSTRACT
In DHPLC, ESI-MS detection offers intrinsic advantage over UV detection since the molecular mass of an intact nucleic acid reflects the nucleotide composition (but not the
order). The potential of ESI-MS was demonstrated in the simultaneous characterizations of lengths and nucleotide polymorphisms within human mitochondrial DNA. The findings were confirmed by direct sequencing of the PCR products [9]. An hyphenated IPCESI-MS technique provided a promising alternative to capillary electrophoresis (CE) of highly polymorphic short tandem repeats for the analysis of allelic imbalance that is of great importance for understanding tumorigenesis and for the clinical management of malignant disease [10]. In conclusion, DHPLC is a valuable tool for comparative nucleic acid sequencing and evolutionary, forensic, and genetic studies.
