Patent ID: 6878815

Claim:
A Watson-Crick triplex complex comprising a single-stranded probe bound to a double-stranded nucleic acid target, wherein: (a) said probe comprises a heteropolymeric nucleic acid or a heteropolymeric nucleic acid analog, (b) said triplex complex comprises base triplets, (c) all said base triplets of said complex are members selected from the group consisting of A-T-A, T-A-T, U-A-T, T-A-U, A-U-A, U-A-U, G-C-G and C-G-C, (d) at least one of said base triplets is A-T-A, A-U-A or G-C-G, (e) at least one other of said base triplets is T-A-T, U-A-T, T-A-U, U-A-U or C-G-C, and (f) the triplex complex is isolated, the triplex complex is purified, the probe is synthetic and/or the target is synthetic.