Microsatellite autoradiogram

Microsatellite autoradiogram

Microsatellites used in forensic identification (the CODIS set) were originally run as radioactively-labeled PCR products in a single gel electrophoresis experiment. In an autoradiogram where all loci are shades of grey, bands corresponding to alleles attributable to different microsatellite loci, but with similar molecular weights, can be difficult to distinguish. Compare this experiment with a fluorescently-labeled, capillary electrophoresis profile, where locus-specific color patterns allow automation of the identification.