Modulation of the binding properties of nucleic acid binding partners
OwnerHenrik Ørum, Ane-Ullerup Lesterinventors
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Abstract
A method for specifically determining the presence of a target by contacting said target in the presence of other targets with a probe capable of binding to said target to form a complex of said target with said probe, wherein the contacting is performed in the presence of a compound enhancing the specificity of said binding or the complex formed is contacted with a compound enhancing the specificity of said binding. This method opens the way to a better discrimination between related nucleic acid sequences in diagnostic assays.
Claims11
A method for specifically determining the presence of at least one single stranded target nucleic acid in the presence of at least one other nucleic acid sequence, comprising contacting a target nucleic acid with a probe which binds to said target nucleic acid to form a complex between said target nucleic acid and probe and, after formation of the complex in a reaction mixture, adding to the reaction mixture a compound which enhances the specificity of binding, thereby contacting said complex with the compound which enhances the specificity of binding, wherein said target nucleic acid, said probe or both said target nucleic acid and said probe are peptide nucleic acid binding partners and wherein said complex is in a solution when contacted with said compound.
A method for lowering the assay temperature for the specific binding of a nucleic acid to a peptide nucleic acid binding partner in a reaction mixture, comprising adding a compound selected from the group consisting of surfactants and detergents to the reaction mixture in an amount effective to lower the assay temperature for the specific binding of a single stranded target nucleic acid to the peptide nucleic acid binding partner, wherein the compound is added to the reaction mixture after formation of a complex between the nucleic acid and the peptide nucleic acid binding partner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.