Quantitation of nucleic acids using the polymerase chain reaction
First Claim
1. A method for quantifying a target nucleic acid segment in a sample, which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) adding to said sample a predetermined initial amount of standard nucleic acid segment wherein said standard nucleic acid segment binds to same primers as are bound by said target nucleic acid segment in a reaction mixture;
(b) treating said sample under conditions suitable for carrying out a polymerase chain reaction, wherein said nucleic acids are rendered single-stranded and exposed to an agent for polymerization, deoxynucleoside 5'"'"' triphosphates, and a pair of oligonucleotide primers, wherein said pair of primers is specific for both the target and standard nucleic acid segments, such that an extension product of each primer of said pair can be synthesized using separate strands of the target and standard segments as a template for synthesis, such that the extension product of one primer, when it is separated from the template strand, can serve as a template for the synthesis of the extension product of the other primer of said pair wherein said amplified target and standard segments are distinguishable by size or by the use of internal probes, wherein said internal probes may be differentially labeled for each of said amplified target and standard segments;
(c) separating the primer extension product from the templates on which they were synthesized to form single-stranded molecules;
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) on the single stranded molecules produced in step (c) at least once, whereby each repeat of steps (b) and (c) is one amplification cycle;
(e) measuring the amounts of the amplified target and standard segments produced in step (d); and
(f) calculating from the amplified target and standard segments produced in step (d) the amount of said target nucleic acid segment present in the sample before amplification.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for determining the amount of a target acid segment in a sample by polymerase chain reaction. The method involves the simultaneous amplification of the target nucleic acid segment and an internal standard nucleic acid segment. The amount of amplified DNA from each segment is determined and compared to standard curves to determine the amount of the target nucleic acid segment present in the sample prior to amplification. The method is especially preferred for determining the quantity of a specific mRNA species in a biological sample. Additionally, an internal standard is provided useful for quantitation of multiple mRNA species.
267 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A method for quantifying a target nucleic acid segment in a sample, which method comprises the steps of:
-
(a) adding to said sample a predetermined initial amount of standard nucleic acid segment wherein said standard nucleic acid segment binds to same primers as are bound by said target nucleic acid segment in a reaction mixture; (b) treating said sample under conditions suitable for carrying out a polymerase chain reaction, wherein said nucleic acids are rendered single-stranded and exposed to an agent for polymerization, deoxynucleoside 5'"'"' triphosphates, and a pair of oligonucleotide primers, wherein said pair of primers is specific for both the target and standard nucleic acid segments, such that an extension product of each primer of said pair can be synthesized using separate strands of the target and standard segments as a template for synthesis, such that the extension product of one primer, when it is separated from the template strand, can serve as a template for the synthesis of the extension product of the other primer of said pair wherein said amplified target and standard segments are distinguishable by size or by the use of internal probes, wherein said internal probes may be differentially labeled for each of said amplified target and standard segments; (c) separating the primer extension product from the templates on which they were synthesized to form single-stranded molecules; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) on the single stranded molecules produced in step (c) at least once, whereby each repeat of steps (b) and (c) is one amplification cycle; (e) measuring the amounts of the amplified target and standard segments produced in step (d); and (f) calculating from the amplified target and standard segments produced in step (d) the amount of said target nucleic acid segment present in the sample before amplification. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
Specification