Amplification and detection of ribonucleic acids

A composition, comprising:

• a single reaction mixture containing
• a plurality of RNA molecules,
• a plurality of a first double-stranded nucleic acid adaptor,
• a plurality of a second double-stranded nucleic acid adaptor, and
• a double-strand specific RNA ligase,
• wherein a first strand of the first double-stranded nucleic acid adaptor of the plurality includes at least two ribonucleosides at the 3′ end, and a second strand of the first double-stranded nucleic acid adaptor of the plurality include a first single-stranded portion at the 5′ end, and
• wherein a first strand of the second double-stranded nucleic acid adaptor of the plurality includes a terminal 5′ phosphate group, and a second strand of the second double-stranded nucleic acid adaptor of the plurality include a second single-stranded portion at the 3′ end, and
• wherein the first single-stranded portion contains a degenerate nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to a first region of a first RNA molecule in the plurality of RNA molecules, and
• wherein the second single-stranded portion contains a degenerate nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to a second region of the first RNA molecule in the plurality of RNA molecules.