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Multicolor molecular beacons for allele discrimination

Nature Biotechnology volume 16, pages 49–53 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Molecular beacons are hairpin-shaped oligonucleotide probes that report the presence of specific nucleic acids in homogenous solutions. When they bind to their targets they undergo a conformationsl reorganization that restores the fluorescence of an internally quenched fluorophore. We found that their hairpin conformation enables the use of a wide variety of differently colored fluorophores. Using several molecular beacons, each designed to recognize a different target and each labeled with a different fluorophore, we demonstrate that multiple targets can be distinguished in the same solution, even if they differ from one another by as little as a single nucleotide. A comparison of “hairpin probes” with corresponding “linear probes” confirms that the presence of the hairpin stem in molecular beacons significantly enhances their specificity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Genetics, Public Health Research Institute, 455 First Ave., New York, NY, 10016

    Sanjay Tyagi, Diana P. Bratu & Fred Russell Kramer

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  1. Sanjay Tyagi
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  2. Diana P. Bratu
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  3. Fred Russell Kramer
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Correspondence to Sanjay Tyagi.

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Tyagi, S., Bratu, D. & Kramer, F. Multicolor molecular beacons for allele discrimination. Nat Biotechnol 16, 49–53 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0198-49

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