Reverse-Transcription PCR (RT-PCR)

RT-PCR is commonly used to test for genetic diseases and to characterize gene expression in various tissue types, cell types, and over developmental time courses. This serves as a form of expression profiling, but typically as a candidate approach. RT-PCR is also commonly used to clone cDNAs for further use with other molecular biology techniques (e.g., see Oligo(dT)-primed RT-PCR isolation of polyadenylated RNA degradation intermediates and Circularized RT-PCR (cRT-PCR): analysis of RNA 5' ends, 3' ends, and poly(A) tails).