Ribozyme amplified diagnostics
First Claim
1. A method for detecting a target nucleic acid molecule in a solution, comprising:
- providing in the solution under conditions wherein two complementary nucleotide molecules will hybridize, a ribozyme molecule, a labelled co-target nucleic acid molecule and the target nucleic acid molecule, wherein the co-target and the target molecules have different sequences and wherein the ribozyme molecule comprises two regions complementary to portions of the co-target and target nucleic acid molecules, wherein the first portion is present on the labelled co-target nucleic acid molecule which contains a cleavage site for the ribozyme and the second portion is present on the target nucleic acid molecule, wherein the complementary regions include at least the minimum number of complementary nucleotides to obtain hybridization between the ribozyme molecule and the co-target and target nucleic acid molecules,allowing the ribozyme molecule to react with the labelled co-target nucleic acid molecule and the target nucleic acid molecule, anddetecting the presence of free label when the target nucleic acid molecule is present in solution as compared with when the target nucleic acid molecule is not present in solution.
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Abstract
A system is described for the use of a ribozyme as a diagnostic tool for detecting the presence of a nucleic acid, protein, or other molecule, in which the formation of an active ribozyme and cleavage of an assayable marker is dependent on the presence or absence of the specific target molecule. The essential component is a ribozyme specifically but reversibly binding a selected target in combination with a labelled co-target, preferably immobilized on a support structure. When both the target and co-target are bound, the ribozyme cleaves the label from the co-target, which is then quantifiable. Since the ribozyme is reversibly bound by target and co-target, it can reassociate with additional co-target, cleaving more label, thereby amplifying the reaction signal. In one embodiment, the target is a nucleic acid hybridizing to complementary sequences that form part of the ribozyme; in a second embodiment, the target is a protein or other macromolecule which is bound by interactions with a portion of the ribozyme molecule in another embodiment, a thermostable ribozyme is used, so that improperly bound ribozyme is destabilized and inactive at elevated temperatures. A method for isolating regularable ribozymes is also disclosed. The regulatable ribozymes are useful in the method for detecting the presence of a specific macromolecule, or can be used in in vitro or in vivo methods for inactivation or activation of the cleavage of target RNA molecules.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a target nucleic acid molecule in a solution, comprising:
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providing in the solution under conditions wherein two complementary nucleotide molecules will hybridize, a ribozyme molecule, a labelled co-target nucleic acid molecule and the target nucleic acid molecule, wherein the co-target and the target molecules have different sequences and wherein the ribozyme molecule comprises two regions complementary to portions of the co-target and target nucleic acid molecules, wherein the first portion is present on the labelled co-target nucleic acid molecule which contains a cleavage site for the ribozyme and the second portion is present on the target nucleic acid molecule, wherein the complementary regions include at least the minimum number of complementary nucleotides to obtain hybridization between the ribozyme molecule and the co-target and target nucleic acid molecules, allowing the ribozyme molecule to react with the labelled co-target nucleic acid molecule and the target nucleic acid molecule, and detecting the presence of free label when the target nucleic acid molecule is present in solution as compared with when the target nucleic acid molecule is not present in solution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for detecting a targeted nucleic acid molecule in a solution, comprising:
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adding to the solution a trans-acting ribozyme labelled with a label selected from the group consisting of dyes, enzymes reactive with a chromogenic substrate, fluorescent labels, chemiluminescent labels, and radioactive labels, and having two regions of complementarity to the targeted nucleic acid molecule, wherein the label is cleaved from the ribozyme when the ribozyme hybridizes to the targeted molecule; and detecting the targeted molecule by detecting the label cleaved from the ribozyme.
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Specification