US Patent 8034917 Primer-directed chromosome painting

An oligonucleotide composition is provided. The subject composition comprises: a mixture of at least 10 of sets of oligonucleotides, wherein each of the sets of oligonucleotides comprises at least 100 different oligonucleotides of the following formula: X1—V—X2, wherein: X1 and X2 provide binding sites for a pair of PCR primers and V is a variable region that has a variable nucleotide sequence that is complementary to one or more discrete regions of a mammalian genome; the nucleotide sequences of X1 and X2 are the same for each oligonucleotide of a set and different for oligonucleotides of different sets; and the variable regions of each set are complementary to different discrete regions of said mammalian genome. Methods of using the composition and kits containing the composition are also provided.