The PCR-SSP methodology is based on the principle that completely or almost
completely matched oligonucleotide primers without 3-‘end mismatches are more
efficiently used in the PCR reaction, than mismatched primers by thermo-stable
DNA polymerases without proof-reading properties. Primer pairs are designed to
be matched with single alleles or group(s) of alleles depending upon the degree of
typing resolution required. With strictly controlled PCR conditions, matched or
almost completely matched primer pairs allow amplification to occur, i.e. a positive
result, whereas mismatched primer pairs doesn’t allow amplification to occur, i.e. a
negative result.