Method for detecting a target nucleic acid by using an interaction of two kinds of reagents

A kit for detecting a single stranded target nucleic acid, comprising

• a probe having a complementary base sequence to that of the target nucleic acid to form a double-stranded hybrid;
• first and second reagents, both of which being capable of interacting with each other through the hybrid without direct physical contact between the reagents to cause an irreversible, detectable change in at least one of the reagents;
• and
• a reactor for hybridizing the target with the probe, the reactor being capable of controlling a temperature of a sample containing the target, the probe and the first and the second reagents so as to cause repeated formation and dissociation of the double-stranded hybrid to generate an interaction between the two reagents through the hybrid which results in accumulation of irreversibly changed reagent which provides the detectable change.

A method for detecting a target nucleic acid which comprises:

• (a) providing a sample containing a single stranded target nucleic acid having a specific base sequence;
• (b) providing a probe having a base sequence complementary to the specific base sequence and having a first and a second reagent bound to both ends of the probe, the reagents being capable of interacting with each other through a double-stranded nucleic acid which is formed between the probe and the target nucleic acid;
• (c) forming a double-stranded hybrid between the target nucleic acid and the probe to interact the reagents with each other and causing an irreversible detectable change in at least one of the reagents by the interaction;
• (d) causing repeated formation and dissociation of the double stranded hybrid to generate the interaction between the two kinds of reagents which results in accumulations of irreversibly changed reagent which provides the detectable change;
• and
• (e) detecting the change provided from the accumulated irreversibly changed reagent to ascertain nucleic acid in the sample.

A method for detecting a target nucleic acid comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a sample containing a single stranded target nucleic acid having a specific base sequence;
• (b) providing a probe having a base sequence complementary to the specific base sequence and having a first reagent bound to the probe;
• (c) forming a double-stranded hybrid between the target nucleic acid and the probe in a presence of a second reagent capable of interacting with the first reagent through the double-stranded hybrid without direct physical contact between the two kinds of reagents, to interact the reagents with each other and causing an irreversible detectable change in at least one of the reagents by the interaction;
• (d) causing repeated formation and dissociation of the double stranded hybrid to generate the interaction between the reagents which results in accumulations of irreversibly changed reagent which provides the detectable change;
• and
• (e) detecting the change provided from the accumulated irreversibly changed reagent to ascertain the target nucleic acid in the sample.