NUCLEIC ACID REAGENTS, A METHOD FOR THEIR PREPARATION AND THEIR USE

摘要

The invention is related to improved nucleic acid reagents comprising arrays of nucleic acid fragments and combinations of such fragments. The preparation of such fragments by recombinant DNA techniques and their use in hybridization methods is also described. By making different combination of the arrays of nucleic acid fragments - some labeled and some affixed to solid carriers, it is possible to create kits for the identification of e.g. venereal diseases. The improved nucleic acid reagents comprise two series, one labeled and one affixed to a solid carrier of at least two but preferably more arrays of alternating nucleic acid fragments, which are sufficiently homologous to sequences in the nucleic acid to be identified. Nucleic acid fragments belonging to different series must not be homologous to each other. The invention is especially related to arrays of nucleic acid fragments prepared from the recombinant plasmid pXTH1220 (DSM 2825), comprising DNA from the Chlamydia trachomatis L2 serotype and from the recombinant plasmid pKTH1271 (DSM 2825) comprising DNA from the cytomegalovirus (AD 169, ATCC VR-538)-(CMV). Sandwich hybridization tests performed with arrays of nucleic acid fragments are at least four times as sensitive as sandwich hybridization tests performed with reagents belonging to the prior art.