Compositions, methods, and kits for amplifying nucleic acids

A method for reducing non-specific fluorescence comprising:

• forming a reaction composition comprising an enzyme, an enzyme inhibitor comprising a nucleotide sequence and a quencher, a target nucleic acid, a primer, and a nucleic acid dye, at a first temperature, wherein the nucleotide sequence can form at least one double-stranded segment, wherein the enzyme and the enzyme inhibitor associate to form a complex, and wherein the quencher inhibits fluorescence of the nucleic acid dye associated with the double-stranded segment of the nucleotide sequence of the enzyme inhibitor;
• heating the reaction composition to a second temperature to dissociate the complex;
• amplifying the target nucleic acid in the reaction composition to generate a multiplicity of amplicons;
• and
• detecting the fluorescence of the nucleic acid dye associated with the multiplicity of amplicons in the reaction composition, wherein the quencher inhibits fluorescence of the nucleic acid dye associated with the double-stranded segment of the nucleotide sequence of the enzyme inhibitor.