A review of methods for detecting single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the Toll-like receptor gene family

The Toll-like receptors play an essential role in immunity through targeting the pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Nucleotide variations in TLR genes, especially single-nucleotide polymorphisms, have been shown to alter host immune susceptibility to several infections and diseases. Since TLR genes' polymorphisms can be a promising biomarker, ongoing investigations aim to develop, optimize and validate SNP detection methods. This review discusses various TLR SNP detection methods, either used extensively or occasionally, but having a vast potential in high-throughput settings. Methods such as PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism, TaqMan(R) assay, direct sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization - time of flight mass spectroscopy MS are frequently used methods whereas Illumina GoldenGate(R) assay, reverse hybridization technology, PCR-confronting two-pair primers, KBiosciences KASPar(R) SNP assay, SNP stream(R), PCR-fluorescence hybridization and SNaPshot(R) are powerful but sporadically used methods. We suggest that, for individual laboratories, the detection method of choice depends on a combination of factors such as throughput volume, reproducibility, feasibility and cost-effectiveness.