Non-Radioactive Assay Methods for the Assessment of Telomerase Activity and Telomere Length

The telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay is a highly sensitive PCR based assay and is an important tool for understanding the role of telomerase in cancer. This assay measures an enzymatic activity where the amount of target is dependent upon the activity of the enzyme. This protocol consists of two steps: first, telomeric repeats are added to the substrate by the enzyme and second, the extended products will be amplified by Taq-DNA polymerase. The amplified TRAP assay products will be separated on 10% native PAGE and detected by SYBR Green I dye.