Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting the presence or absence of one or more variant nucleotide sequences. The method comprises (i) contacting a nucleic acid sample with a diagnostic primer which is substantially complementary to a diagnostic portion of a target base sequence, whereby extension of the diagnostic primer on a target template under appropriate conditions is only achieved where a terminal nucleotide of the diagnostic primer is complementary to either a suspected variant nucleotide or a corresponding normal nucleotide of the target base sequence, and (ii) detecting the presence or absence of an extension product. Kits for performing diagnostic tests are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the amplification of a target nucleotide sequence using a first primer comprising 1) a target binding nucleotide moiety which is substantially complementary to the desired portion of the target nucleotide sequence; and 2) a polynucleotide tail. The first primer is such that while an extension product thereof may itself serve as a template for primer extension to form an amplification primer extension product, formation of an amplification primer extension product comprising a sequence complementary to the polynucleotide tail is inhibited.