Sequence- and structural-selective nucleic acid binding revealed by the melting of mixtures.

ABSTRACT: A simple method for the detection of sequence- and structural-selective ligand binding to nucleic acids is described. The method is based on the commonly used thermal denaturation method in which ligand binding is registered as an elevation in the nucleic acid melting temperature (T(m)). The method can be extended to yield a new, higher -throughput, assay by the simple expediency of melting designed mixtures of polynucleotides (or oligonucleotides) with different sequences or structures of interest. Upon addition of ligand to such mixtures at low molar ratios, the T(m) is shifted only for the nucleic acid containing the preferred sequence or structure. Proof of principle of the assay is provided using first a mixture of polynucleotides with different sequences and, second, with a mixture c

SUBMITTER: Shi X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1345701 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature