Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is circular, multicopy genome DNA located in mitochondrion, a cellular organelle that plays a key role in the energy production. The capacity for energy production in a cell depends on both mtDNA integrity and copy number.
Absolute Human Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Quantification qPCR Assay Kit (AHMQ) is designed to quantify the average mtDNA copy number of a human cell population.
The mtDNA primer set recognizes and amplifies one of the most conserved regions on human mtDNA and will not amplify any off-target sequence on nuclear genomic DNA.
The single copy reference (SCR) primer set recognizes and amplifies a 100 bp-long region on human chromosome 17 and serves as reference for data normalization.
The reference genomic DNA sample with known mtDNA copy number serves as a reference for calculating the mtDNA copy number of target samples.
The carefully designed primers ensure: (i) high efficiency for trustworthy quantification; and (ii) no non-specific amplification.
Each primer set has been validated by qPCR with melt curve analysis and gel electrophoresis for amplification specificity and by template serial dilution for amplification efficiency.