Patent ID: 7897747

Claim:
A polynucleic acid probe, having a defined sequence, for hybridization to a target polynucleic acid sequence, comprising the following sub-sequences: (a) a first target sequence, at one end of the probe, complementary to a first target region of the target polynucleic acid, for specifically binding thereto; (b) a second target sequence, at an opposite end of the probe, complementary to a second target region of the target polynucleic acid for specifically binding thereto, where said first and second target regions are separated on the target polynucleic acid, when hybridized thereto, by a gap of at least 250 nt of target sequence, said gap adapted to be filled by at least 250 nt of added gap filling nucleotides; (c) at least one amplification primer site, on the probe, adjacent the target sequence, and connected to a spacer backbone sequence, for specifically binding a PCR primer, said primer oriented in a direction for amplification of target sequences and gap filling nucleotides only when nucleotides are joined to the target sequences as complementary to the target polynucleic acid and further oriented to not amplify the backbone sequence; and (d) said spacer backbone sequence, of at least 125 nt, chosen to be non-complementary to the target polynucleic acid, and being a random nucleic acid sequence having a length permitting a length of said gap of at least 250 nt, said spacer backbone sequence having a length of at least 50% of the length of said gap.