Method for quantifying target nucleic acid molecules and kit for quantifying target nucleic acid molecules

A method for quantifying target nucleic acid molecules in a nucleic acid-containing sample, comprising:

• (a) preparing a sample solution comprising a nucleic acid-containing sample, a first nucleic acid molecule probe conjugated with a first marker, and a second nucleic acid molecule probe conjugated with a second marker;
• (b) denaturing nucleic acid molecules in the sample solution prepared in (a);
• (c) hybridizing the nucleic acid molecules in said sample solution, after (b);
• (d) forming a covalent bond between two nucleic acid strands in the thus formed hybrid under a same condition, regarding the temperature and the salt concentration of the sample solution, as that of the hybrid formation in (c), after (c);
• and
• (e) quantifying said target nucleic acid molecules by detecting a time course change in an optical characteristic of the first marker or the second marker in said sample solution, after (d);
• wherein said first nucleic acid molecule probe comprises a nucleotide sequence complementary to said target nucleic acid molecule, said second nucleic acid molecule probe comprises a nucleotide sequence complementary to said first nucleic acid molecule probe, and at least either one of said first marker and said second marker is a substance whose optical characteristic is changed depending on whether or not said first nucleic acid molecule probe and said second nucleic acid molecule probe are hybridized.