Patent ID: 6174709
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A process for exponentially amplifying a naturally occurring target nucleic acid sequence in a sample comprising said target sequence, said process comprising the steps of:(a) forming a mixture of said sample and a single specified primer, such that the molar ratio of primer to target nucleic acid is at least 1000:1, and said primer (i) consists of approximately 10-40 bases; (ii) hybridizes to a first primer site at the 3' terminal of said target nucleic acid sequence; and (iii) is at least 7.5% homologous to one or more additional nucleic acid sequences 5' of said first primer site, such that the complement of at least one of said additional nucleic acid sequences serve as additional insertion site(s) for exponential amplification; and(b) amplifying said target nucleic acid sequence by(i) subjecting said mixture to conditions which cause the single primer to form a duplex product of said target nucleic acid sequence by a polymerase reaction;(ii) subjecting said mixture formed in step (i) to conditions which separate the duplex product into single strands; and(iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) until the rate of production of duplex product is exponential and said target nucleic acid sequence has been amplified.