Patent ID: 7452699
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
1. A method of amplifying a hairpin structure comprising converting a double stranded nucleic acid into the hairpin structure, wherein the double stranded nucleic acid contains at least one sequence of interest, and is referred to as a template nucleic acid, and wherein the template nucleic acid has an upper strand with a 5′ and a 3′ end and a lower strand with a 5′ and a 3′ end, the method comprising: (a) ligating a first single stranded nucleic acid to the 5′ end of the upper strand of the template nucleic acid, (b) ligating a second single stranded nucleic acid, which is non-complementary to the first single stranded nucleic acid to the 3′ end of the lower strand of the nucleic acid, (c) ligating a cap of single stranded nucleic acid to both the 5′ end of the lower strand and the 3′ end of the upper strand of the template nucleic acid, such that the 3′ end of the upper strand and the 5′ end of the lower strand are contiguous, thereby creating the hairpin structure; and further comprising performing polymerase chain reaction with a first primer that binds to at least a portion of the upper single stranded non-complementary region at the 5′ end of the upper strand, and a second primer that binds to at least a portion of the lower single stranded non-complementary region at the 3′ end of the lower strand.