QUANTITATIVE MOLECULAR PROBES
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A quantitative molecular probe for detection of a nucleic acid target containing a preselected target sequence, said quantitative molecular probe being capable of assuming a closed conformation and an open conformation, said quantitative molecular probe comprising:
- a) a target complement sequence of from 7 to about 140 nucleotides complementary to said preselected nucleic acid target sequence having a 5′
terminus and a 3′
terminus;
b) optionally comprising an affinity pair comprising a first affinity moiety covalently linked to said 5′
terminus and a second affinity moiety covalently linked to said 3′
terminus, said affinity pair interacting sufficiently to hold said quantitative molecular probe in the closed conformation in the absence of said nucleic acid target;
c) a label pair comprising a first label moiety conjugated to at least one of a first nucleotide of said preselected nucleic acid target sequence or said first affinity moiety and a second label moiety conjugated to at least one of a second nucleotide of said preselected nucleic acid target sequence or said second affinity moiety, provided that said first nucleotide and said second nucleotide are separated by at least 2 nucleotides and wherein said label moieties interact to affect a measurable characteristic of at least one of said label moieties such that a difference in a reporter signal is produced when said quantitative molecular probe is in the closed conformation, wherein hybridization of said target complement sequence to said target sequence causes said quantitative molecular probe to assume its open conformation, in which said label moieties do not so interact; and
d) a reference label moiety conjugated to at least one of said target complement sequence, said first affinity moiety, said second affinity moiety, said first label moiety, or said second label moiety, wherein said reference label moiety produces a reference signal which is a detectable signal qualitatively distinct from the reporter signal produced by any one of said first label moiety, said second label moiety alone or in combination with each other in the closed conformation.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with this invention, a molecular probe for detection of a nucleic acid target containing a preselected target sequence is constructed and has at least two sources of a signal: a conventional reporter source and a reference source in a form of a luminescent material, e.g., a fluorophore, quantum dot, fluorescent nanoparticle, or other fluorescent reference dye/nanoparticle/microparticle conjugated to the molecular probe.
18 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A quantitative molecular probe for detection of a nucleic acid target containing a preselected target sequence, said quantitative molecular probe being capable of assuming a closed conformation and an open conformation, said quantitative molecular probe comprising:
-
a) a target complement sequence of from 7 to about 140 nucleotides complementary to said preselected nucleic acid target sequence having a 5′
terminus and a 3′
terminus;b) optionally comprising an affinity pair comprising a first affinity moiety covalently linked to said 5′
terminus and a second affinity moiety covalently linked to said 3′
terminus, said affinity pair interacting sufficiently to hold said quantitative molecular probe in the closed conformation in the absence of said nucleic acid target;c) a label pair comprising a first label moiety conjugated to at least one of a first nucleotide of said preselected nucleic acid target sequence or said first affinity moiety and a second label moiety conjugated to at least one of a second nucleotide of said preselected nucleic acid target sequence or said second affinity moiety, provided that said first nucleotide and said second nucleotide are separated by at least 2 nucleotides and wherein said label moieties interact to affect a measurable characteristic of at least one of said label moieties such that a difference in a reporter signal is produced when said quantitative molecular probe is in the closed conformation, wherein hybridization of said target complement sequence to said target sequence causes said quantitative molecular probe to assume its open conformation, in which said label moieties do not so interact; and d) a reference label moiety conjugated to at least one of said target complement sequence, said first affinity moiety, said second affinity moiety, said first label moiety, or said second label moiety, wherein said reference label moiety produces a reference signal which is a detectable signal qualitatively distinct from the reporter signal produced by any one of said first label moiety, said second label moiety alone or in combination with each other in the closed conformation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
23. In a molecular probe for detection of a nucleic acid target containing a preselected target sequence having:
-
a) a target complement sequence of from 10 to about 140 nucleotides complementary to said preselected nucleic acid target sequence, having a 5′
terminus and a 3′
terminus;b) an affinity pair comprising a first affinity moiety covalently linked to said 5′
terminus and a second affinity moiety covalently linked to said 3′
terminus, said affinity pair interacting sufficiently to hold said molecular probe in the closed conformation in the absence of said nucleic acid target; andc) a label pair comprising a first label moiety conjugated to said first affinity moiety and a second label moiety conjugated to said second affinity moiety, wherein said label moieties interact to affect a measurable characteristic of at least one of said label moieties such that a difference in a reporter signal is produced when said molecular probe is in the closed conformation, wherein hybridization of said target complement sequence to said target sequence causes said molecular probe to assume its open conformation, in which said label moieties do not so interact;
wherein the improvement comprises;d) having a reference label moiety conjugated to at least one of said target complement sequence, said first affinity moiety, said second affinity moiety, said first label moiety, or said second label moiety, wherein said reference label moiety produces a reference signal which is a detectable signal qualitatively distinct from the reporter signal produced by any one of said first label moiety, said second label moiety alone or in combination with each other in the closed conformation so that said molecular probe is adapted to quantitative detect a nucleic acid target.
-
Specification