Method for the genomic typing of erythrocyte systems, oligonucleotide probes and relative diagnostic kits

1. A method for the identification and typing of at least one single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) of the erythrocyte system X for discriminating between heterozygote and homozygote individuals which comprises:

a) contacting said single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) with at least one set or more than one set of oligonucleotide probes amino-modified at the 5′-end, wherein said oligonucleotide probes have a sequence length ranging from 18 to 20 nucleotides containing at or near the center of the probe sequence, the specific single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) for each target alleles belonging to the erythrocyte system X that are selected from the group consisting of Kpa/Kpb, and Fya/Fyb, said probes being capable of specifically hybridizing to each of said target alleles; wherein said probes are coupled to a microsphere labeled with at least one fluorescent substance and consist of at least one probe/probe set of oligonucleotide sequences selected from the group consisting of

Probe/probe set 1: Kpb/ATCACTTCACggCTgTTCCA (SEQ ID NO: 20) and Kpa ATCACTTCATggCTgTTCCAg (SEQ ID NO:21); and probe/probe set 7: Fya/GAgACTATggTgCCAACCTg (SEQ ID NO: 35) and Fyb TggAgACTATgATgCCAACC (SEQ ID NO: 36);

b) hybridizing said at least one set or more than one set of oligonucleotide probes to target alleles containing the one single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) at the following hybridization temperature ranges: probe set 1: 45-50° C.; and probe set 7: 52-56° C.; for the identification and typing of at least one single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) of an allelic pair X selected from the group consisting of Kpa/Kpb and Fya/Fyb using non-specific negative probes as control probes and

c) detecting the presence of fluorescence with a flow cytometer-based instrument to identify and type said at least one single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) in order to discriminate between heterozygote and homozygote individuals wherein a negative control is used with probe set 1 consisting of AACTCTACggggCTCTTCgA (SEQ ID NO: 22); and a negative control is used with probe set 7 consisting of AggCTATCCTgACAAgCTT (SEQ ID NO: 37).

2. A method for the identification and typing of at least one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the erythrocyte system X in heterozygote and homozygote individuals for discriminating between homozygous and heterozygous samples, comprising the following phases:

a) extracting DNA from a biological sample;

b) amplifying by PCR, the genomic locus comprising the SNP of the erythrocyte system of interest, by means of at least one specific pair of primers for a target allele selected from the group consisting of: pair 1: Kpa/Kpb/Fw: TgAggCCAggAgAAAAgCA (SEQ ID NO:3) and Rw: TgACCATCTggAAgAgCTTgC (SEQ ID NO:4); and pair 2:Fya/Fyb/Fw: CTTCCggTgTAACTCTgATgg (SEQ ID NO:13) and Rw:ATCCAgCAGGTTACAggAgT (SEQ ID NO:14) wherein at least one primer is biotinylated at the 5′-end with biotin to obtain biotinylated PCR products;

c) hybridizing the biotinylated PCR products obtained in step b) with one set or more than one set of oligonucleotide probes and adding streptavidin-phycoerythrin at a temperature for each probe/probe set at the following hybridization temperature ranges: probe set 1: 45-50° C.; and probe set 7: 52-56° C.;

Probe/probe set 1: Kpb ATCACTTCACggCTgTTCCA (SEQ ID NO: 20) and Kpa ATCACTTCATggCTgTTCCAg (SEQ ID NO:21); and probe/probe set 7: Fya GAgACTATggTgCCAACCTg (SEQ ID NO: 35) and Fyb TggAgACTATgATgCCAACC (SEQ ID NO: 36);

d) detecting any fluorescence with a flow cytometer-based instrument to identify and type at least one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the erythrocyte system X in heterozygote and homozygote individuals in order to discriminate between heterozygote and homozygote individuals wherein a negative control used with probe set 1 consisting of is AACTCTACggggCTCTTCgA (SEQ ID NO: 22); and a negative control is used with probe set 7 consisting of AggCTATCCTgACAAgCTT (SEQ ID NO: 37.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the target allele is Kpa/Kpb.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the target alleles are Fya/Fyb.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the target allele is Fya/Fyb.