A simple and reliable 5′-RACE approach

A novel approach for the amplification of cDNA ends is described. It requires only minimal amounts of material, a simple cDNA synthesis reaction and a single PCR reaction to amplify the desired 5′- or 3′-ends of a certain cDNA of interest. It combines the so called CapFinder approach with solid phase cDNA synthesis, thus almost eliminating background problems usually associated with 5′-RACE protocols. This approach could be used to generate complete 5′-ends of numerous cDNAs using only one cDNA synthesis reaction. In combination with LA PCR, several kilobases of unknown 5′-ends could be amplified. It is easy to perform, quick, inexpensive and reliable, which should enable it to replace most currently used 5′-RACE protocols.