Single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis (SSCP)

The principle of SSCP analysis is based on the fact that the
secondary structure of single-stranded DNA is dependent on its
base composition. Any change to the base composition
introduced by a mutation or polymorphism will cause a
modification to the secondary structure of the DNA strand.
This altered conformation affects its migration through a
non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel, resulting in a band shift
when compared to a sample without a mutation. The bands
of single-stranded DNA are usually visualised by silver-staining.
It should be noted that the presence of a band shift itself does
not provide any information about the nature of the mutation.
Consequently, samples that show altered banding patterns
require further investigation by DNA sequencing.