Patent ID: 7138516
Filing Date: 2006-11-21
Classification: C12Q,Y02A

Abstract:
1. An oligonucleotide probe able to distinguish between nucleic acid from a target species and nucleic acid from a non-target species belonging to the same non-viral genus, made by a process comprising the following steps: a) identifying a variable region present in nucleic acid from said target species and nucleic acid from said non-target species, wherein said variable region is present in an rRNA sequence, or a DNA sequence encoding for said rRNA sequence, in a location corresponding to a target region selected from the group consisting of: bases 60–100 of bases 120–150 of bases 170–230 of bases 405–480 of bases 600–670 of bases 820–860 of bases 980–1050 of bases 270–390 of bases 535–560 of bases 1150–1200 of bases 1440–1600 of bases 1710–1750 of bases 2190–2330 of b) substantially maximizing complementarity of a target-complementary nucleotide sequence which is present in said oligonucleotide probe to said variable region present in nucleic acid from said target species, while substantially minimizing complementarity of said nucleotide sequence to said variable region present in nucleic acid from said non-target species, such that a duplex formed between said oligonucleotide probe and nucleic acid from said target species has a higher T c) producing said oligonucleotide probe to comprise said target-complementary sequence, wherein under high stringency hybridization assay conditions said oligonucleotide probe hybridizes to nucleic acid from said target species to form a detectable probe:target duplex, but does not hybridize to nucleic acid from said non-target species to form a detectable probe:non-target duplex, provided that said oligonucleotide probe does not distinguish further provided that said oligonucleotide probe does not distinguish