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The Daily Insight

Can Sanger sequencing detect copy number variations?

Author

Matthew Wilson

Updated on February 26, 2026

For most of these diseases, gene mutation analysis by traditional Sanger sequencing has been the main diagnostic strategy for identifying pathogenic genomic variants. In this study, we identified clinically relevant CNVs that previously would not have been discovered via targeted disease gene sequencing.

How do you calculate copy number variation?

Copy number variation can be detected with various types of tests such as fluorescent in situ hybridization, comparative genomic hybridization and with high-resolution array-based tests based on array comparative genomic hybridization (or aCGH), SNP array technologies and high resolution microarrays that include copy …

What is CNV detection?

CNVs are the genetic cause of multiple hereditary diseases [2]. To detect them, specific tools and techniques are required. In genetic diagnostics, this is mainly done using either MLPA and aCGH or using software tools to infer copy-number alterations from NGS data generated in the diagnostics process.

How is whole exome sequencing done?

Exome sequencing contains two main processes, namely target-enrichment and sequencing. Target-enrichment is to select and capture exome from DNA samples. There are two major methods to achieve the enrichment of exome. Array-based exome enrichment uses probes bound to high-density microarrays to capture exome.

What is copy number variation CNV )? How is copy number variation related to disease in humans?

Copy number variation (CNV) has recently been identified as a major cause of structural variation in the genome, involving both duplications and deletions of sequences that typically range in length from 1,000 base pairs to 5 megabases, the cytogenetic level of resolution.

How might copy number variants affect a phenotype?

First, copy number variants can directly influence gene dosage through insertions or deletions, which can result in altered gene expression and potentially cause genetic diseases. Gene dosage describes the number of copies of a gene in a cell, and gene expression can be influenced by higher and lower gene dosages.

Can we detect copy number variation using whole exome sequencing data?

An evaluation of copy number variation detection tools for cancer using whole exome sequencing data The limited performance of the current CNV detection tools for WES data in cancer indicates the need for developing more efficient and precise CNV detection methods.

How is copy number variation (CNV) detected?

There are two categories of methods for copy number variation (CNV) detection. 1) The paired-end mapping approach, in which mapped paired-reads whose distances are significantly different from the predetermined average insert size are used.

Is whole exome sequencing better than whole genome sequencing for CNV detection?

Recently whole exome sequencing (WES) has become primary strategy for sequencing patient samples and study their genomics aberrations. However, compared to whole genome sequencing, WES introduces more biases and noise that make CNV detection very challenging.

Does copy number affect read depth in whole-genome sequencing?

The underlying hypothesis is that the read depth of a genomic region is correlated with the copy number of the region. 1) For whole-genome sequencing (WGS), a sliding window approach is adopted.