Abstract: A method is disclosed for modifying an oligonucleotide, which method has application to the detection of a polynucleotide analyte. An oligonucleotide is reversibly hybridized with a polynucleotide, for example, a polynucleotide analyte, in the presence of a 5?-nuclease under isothermal conditions. The polynucleotide analyte serves as a recognition element to enable a 5?-nuclease to cleave the oligonucleotide to provide (i) a first fragment that is substantially non-hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte and (ii) a second fragment that lies 3? of the first fragment (in the intact oligonucleotide) and is substantially hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte. At least a 100-fold molar excess of the first fragment and/or the second fragment are obtained relative to the molar amount of the polynucleotide analyte. The presence of the first fragment and/or the second fragment is detected, the presence thereof indicating the presence of the polynucleotide analyte.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for modifying an oligonucleotide, which method has application to the detection of a polynucleotide analyte. An oligonucleotide is reversibly hybridized with a polynucleotide, for example, a polynucleotide analyte, in the presence of a 5′-nuclease under isothermal conditions. The polynucleotide analyte serves as a recognition element to enable a 5′-nuclease to cleave the oligonucleotide to provide (i) a first fragment-that is substantially non-hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte and (ii) a second fragment that lies 3′ of the first fragment (in the intact oligonucleotide) and is substantially hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte. At least a 100-fold molar excess of the first fragment and/or the second fragment are obtained relative to the molar amount of the polynucleotide analyte. The presence of the first fragment and/or the second fragment is detected, the presence thereof indicating the presence of the polynucleotide analyte.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for modifying an oligonucleotide, which method has application to the detection of a polynucleotide analyte. An oligonucleotide is reversibly hybridized with a polynucleotide, for example, a polynucleotide analyte, in the presence of a 5′-nuclease under isothermal conditions. The polynucleotide analyte serves as a recognition element to enable a 5′-nuclease to cleave the oligonucleotide to provide (i) a first fragment that is substantially non-hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte and (ii) a second fragment that lies 3′ of the first fragment (in the intact oligonucleotide) and is substantially hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte. At least a 100-fold molar excess of the first fragment and/or the second fragment are obtained relative to the molar amount of the polynucleotide analyte. The presence of the first fragment and/or the second fragment is detected, the presence thereof indicating the presence of the polynucleotide analyte.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing at least one copy of a pair of complementary single stranded polynucleotides. The method comprises forming, in the presence of nucleoside triphosphates and template dependent polynucleotide polymerase along each of the complementary single stranded polynucleotides, an extension of a polynucleotide primer. The polynucleotide primer is comprised of at least a sequence of 16 nucleotides terminating at its 3′ end in a 2 to 9 nucleotide sequence (S1), which is complementary with the 3′ ends of both of the complementary single stranded polynucleotides. The polynucleotide primer has at least an 8 nucleotide sequence (S2) that is 5′ of S1, where S2 is 50 to 80% complementary to the nucleotide sequences contiguous with the 3′ ends of the complementary single stranded polynucleotides. The extended polynucleotide primer and the single stranded polynucleotides are then dissociated.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for modifying an oligonucleotide, which method has application to the detection of a polynucleotide analyte. An oligonucleotide is reversibly hybridized with a polynucleotide, for example, a polynucleotide analyte, in the presence of a 5'-nuclease under isothermal conditions. The polynucleotide analyte serves as a recognition element to enable a 5'-nuclease to cleave the oligonucleotide to provide (i) a first fragment that is substantially non-hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte and (ii) a second fragment that lies 3' of the first fragment (in the intact oligonucleotide) and is substantially hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte. At least a 100-fold molar excess of the first fragment and/or the second fragment are obtained relative to the molar amount of the polynucleotide analyte. The presence of the first fragment and/or the second fragment is detected, the presence thereof indicating the presence of the polynucleotide analyte.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for modifying an oligonucleotide, which method has application to the detection of a polynucleotide analyte. An oligonucleotide is reversibly hybridized with a polynucleotide, for example, a polynucleotide analyte, in the presence of a 5'-nuclease under isothermal conditions. The polynucleotide analyte serves as a recognition element to enable a 5'-nuclease to cleave the oligonucleotide to provide (i) a first fragment that is substantially non-hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte and (ii) a second fragment that lies 3' of the first fragment (in the intact oligonucleotide) and is substantially hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte. At least a 100-fold molar excess of the first fragment and/or the second fragment are obtained relative to the molar amount of the polynucleotide analyte. The presence of the first fragment and/or the second fragment is detected, the presence thereof indicating the presence of the polynucleotide analyte.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting or amplifying and detecting a target polynucleotide sequence. The method comprises providing in combination (i) a medium suspected of containing the target polynucleotide sequence, (ii) all reagents required for conducting an amplification of the target polynucleotide sequence when amplification is desired, and (iii) two oligonucleotide probes capable of binding to a single strand of the product of the amplification. At least one of the probes has two sequences that either (i) are non-contiguous and bind to contiguous or non-contiguous sites on the single strand or (ii) can bind to non-contiguous sites on the single strand. Each probe may contain a label. The combination is subjected to conditions for amplifying the target polynucleotide sequence. Next, the combination is subjected to conditions under which both of the probes hybridize to one of the strands to form a termolecular complex, which is detected by means of the label.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improvement in a method for amplifying a target sequence of a target polynucleotide. The method comprises combining a sample suspected of containing the target polynucleotide with reagents for amplifying the target sequence and subjecting the combination to conditions wherein the target sequence if present is amplified. The present improvement comprises including in the combination a control oligonucleotide and a control polynucleotide that has a sequence that is hybridizable with the control oligonucleotide. When the control oligonucleotide is bound to the control polynucleotide, the ability of a primer to chain extend along the control polynucleotide is reduced. Optionally, the control oligonucleotide is part of the control polynucleotide. The method finds particular application in the area of nucleic acid amplification and detection.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for detecting a target polynucleotide sequence. The method comprises incubating an oligonucleotide with the target polynucleotide sequence and a nucleotide polymerase under isothermal conditions wherein at least one nucleotide is added to the 3'-terminus of the oligonucleotide to provide an extended oligonucleotide having the additional nucleotides. The presence of extended oligonucleotide is detected as an indication of the presence of the target polynucleotide sequence. The method has particular application to the detection of DNA.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for modifying an oligonucleotide, which method has application to the detection of a polynucleotide analyte. An oligonucleotide is reversibly hybridized with a polynucleotide, for example, a polynucleotide analyte, in the presence of a 5'-nuclease under isothermal conditions. The polynucleotide analyte serves as a recognition element to enable a 5'-nuclease to cleave the oligonucleotide to provide (i) a first fragment that is substantially non-hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte and (ii) a second fragment that lies 3' of the first fragment (in the intact oligonucleotide) and is substantially hybridizable to the polynucleotide analyte. At least a 100-fold molar excess of the first fragment and/or the second fragment are obtained relative to the molar amount of the polynucleotide analyte. The presence of the first fragment and/or the second fragment is detected, the presence thereof indicating the presence of the polynucleotide analyte.

Abstract: This invention relates to use of oligonucleotides having at least one nucleotide that is substituted at the 4'-position of the sugar moiety with a substituent other than hydrogen as nucleotide probes in methods for detecting the presence or amount of a polynucleotide analyte in a sample suspected of containing the polynucleotide analyte. These oligonucleotides can also be packaged in diagnostic assay kits.

Abstract: Methods and kits are disclosed for preventing amplification of contaminating copies of nucleic acids during in amplification of a nucleic acid suspected of being present in a sample. Modified nucleotides that render copies of the nucleic acid bindable by a member of a specific binding pair, such as a receptor, which does not bind to the nucleic acid, are incorporated into copies of the nucleic acid that are produced during the amplification. The sample is combined with an enzyme conjugate, usually a receptor bound to a nuclease, under conditions wherein prior to the amplification the member of a specific binding pair binds to the copies and the enzyme degrades the copies but not the nucleic acid. The methods and kits have particular application to the determination of a nucleic acid analyte.

Abstract: This invention relates to oligonucleotides having at least one nucleotide that is substituted at the 4' position of the sugar moiety with a substituent other than hydrogen. These oligonucleotides are useful in hybridization assays and as therapeutic agents.