A semiquantitative technique for evaluating the relative abundance of nucleic acid sequences in a mixture or the extent of similarity between homologous sequences. In this technique, multiple samples of cloned DNAs, identical in amount, are spotted on a single nitrocellulose filter in dots of uniform diameter. The filter is then hybridized with a radioactive probe (e.g., an RNA or DNA mixture) containing the corresponding sequences in unknown amounts. The extent of hybridization is estimated semiquantitatively by visual comparison to radioactive standards similarly spotted.
Subjects: Genetics and Genomics — Chemistry.