Patent ID: 7485417

Claim:
A process for non-linearly amplifying a specific target nucleic acid sequence comprising the steps of: (1) providing: said specific target nucleic acid sequence; a primer or a singular nucleic acid construct for non-linear amplification, comprising three segments: (a) a first segment being sufficiently complementary to a first portion of said specific target nucleic acid sequence to (i) bind or hybridize thereto and (ii) provide for template-dependent extension of said first portion such that a first primer extension is produced; (b) a second segment sufficiently identical to a second portion of said specific target nucleic acid sequence to provide sequences that bind to sequences produced by extension of said first segment of (a); and (c) a third segment sufficiently identical to said first segment of (a) that use of said third segment as a template directs synthesis of a complementary sequence that can then be further extended by either (i) using itself as template in an intramolecular extension or (ii) using an unextended primer as a template in an intermolecular extension, and (d) substrates, buffer and a template-dependent polymerizing enzyme; and (2) incubating said specific target nucleic acid sequence and said primer or nucleic acid construct in the presence of said substrates, buffer and template-dependent polymerizing enzyme to obtain said non-linearly amplified target sequence, provided that at least one primer extension is carried out under limited cycling conditions, limited substrate conditions, limited extension duration or a combination of any of the foregoing.