Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for detecting activity of nucleotide pool repair enzymes. In the methods of the invention, a sample suspected of having nucleotide pool repair enzyme activity is combined with a detection compound provided herein, which detection compound comprises (i) a substrate for the enzyme of interest, (ii) a polyphosphate linker; and (iii) a detection moiety that is active when released by the enzyme of interest cleaving the linker.

Abstract: The presence of a target polynucleotide sequence of interest, including targets comprising genetic variations or a single nucleotide polymorphism, is detected by a DNA polymerization reaction, where the reaction mixture includes mixtures of nucleotides including at least one chimeric nucleoside tetraphosphate dimer ATP-linked nucleotide (ARN), in which ATP is the leaving group. DNA synthesis with ARNs is shown to be sequence specific, based on priming with a primer or template complementary to a target sequence. The released ATP is assayed in a qualitative or quantitative analysis, where one equivalent of ATP is released for every deoxynucleotide incorporated from an ARN.