Abstract: A method for detecting small oligonucleotides includes providing a biological isolate containing at least one small oligonucleotide. The biological isolate may be contacted with at least one detection oligonucleotide having a label moiety and at least one bridge oligonucleotide under conditions such that the at least one small oligonucleotide and the at least one detection oligonucleotide are preferentially added to the bridge oligonucleotide to produce at least one labeled small oligonucleotide. At least one ligating reagent may be added to preferentially join the at least one small oligonucleotide and the at least one detection oligonucleotide. The at least one labeled small oligonucleotide may then be detected.

Abstract: Methods and kits for measuring the length of the poly(A) tail of selected target mRNA are disclosed herein. In preferred aspects the mRNA population is modified by addition of a tail comprising guanosine and inosine (G/I tailing). The added tail is used as a priming site for reverse transcription. The resulting cDNA is then amplified using one or more target specific primers and a universal primer that recognizes the tailed region. The products are separated according to size and the size is used to estimate the polyA tail length.

Abstract: A method for detecting small oligonucleotides includes providing a biological isolate containing at least one small oligonucleotide. The biological isolate may be contacted with at least one detection oligonucleotide having a label moiety and at least one bridge oligonucleotide under conditions such that the at least one small oligonucleotide and the at least one detection oligonucleotide are preferentially added to the bridge oligonucleotide to produce at least one labeled small oligonucleotide. At least one ligating reagent may be added to preferentially join the at least one small oligonucleotide and the at least one detection oligonucleotide. The at least one labeled small oligonucleotide may then be detected.