Taq DNA Polymerase Mutants for Probe qPCR

A qPCR process comprising:

• providing a qPCR mixture including a target nucleic acid, target nucleic acid primers, a mutant Taq DNA polymerase and an intercalating dye or a labeled target probe which fluoresces when the label is cleaved from the probe by exonuclease activity, wherein the mutant Taq DNA polymerase comprises one of the following amino acid mutations:
• V62S (SEQ ID NO:
• 4), V64S (SEQ ID NO:
• 6), A70F (SEQ ID NO:
• 8), F73A (SEQ ID NO:
• 10), A77F (SEQ ID NO:
• 12), P253G (SEQ ID NO:
• 14), E255K (SEQ ID NO:
• 16), D257R (SEQ ID NO:
• 18), A259F (SEQ ID NO:
• 20), A271F (SEQ ID NO:
• 22), L288S (SEQ ID NO:
• 24), E289K (SEQ ID NO:
• 26), S357I (SEQ ID NO:
• 28), L361S (SEQ ID NO:
• 30), L376S (SEQ ID NO:
• 32), P382G (SEQ ID NO:
• 34), T385I (SEQ ID NO:
• 36), G418P (SEQ ID NO:
• 38), R419D (SEQ ID NO:
• 40), E421K (SEQ ID NO:
• 42), L461S (SEQ ID NO:
• 44), A472F (SEQ ID NO:
• 46), E497K (SEQ ID NO:
• 48), L498S (SEQ ID NO:
• 50), E524K (SEQ ID NO:
• 52), D551R (SEQ ID NO:
• 54), R556D (SEQ ID NO:
• 56), S679I (SEQ ID NO:
• 58), L789S (SEQ ID NO:
• 60), E189K/E507K/E742K (SEQ ID NO:
• 62), with the exception that the mutant Taq DNA polymerase does not include the 6-membered histidine tag at the C-terminus and the six immediately preceding Glycine and Serine amino acids in the sequence listings;
• providing a de-annealing temperature for a sufficient time to de-anneal primers from targets;
• providing a number of cycles of an annealing temperature for a sufficient time to anneal primers to targets followed by an extension temperature held for about one second;
• and
• measuring a reporter signal generated to quantify the amount of target sequence present in the qPCR mixture.