Analysis of the Aldosterone Synthase (CYP11B2) and 11β-Hydroxylase (CYP11B1) Genes

The aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) and 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1) enzymes are known to be important players in the development of hypertension. Sequencing of the CYP11B2 and CYP11B1 genes and quantification of their respective mRNAs is greatly complicated by their high degree of sequence similarity. The need to ensure gene specificity during such analysis has required the development of particular methods for the detection of key polymorphisms at these loci, which are detailed in this chapter.