Promoter-sequestered oligonucleoside and method of use

摘要

The present invention features "promoter-sequestered" oligonucleosides and the use of such oligonucleosides to achieve "target-triggered" amplification. A promoter-sequestered oligonucleoside contains a contiguous nucleic acid sequence which forms a stem-loop structure in the absence of a target sequence. The stem-loop structure contains a single-stranded loop region and a double-stranded stem region. The single-stranded loop contains all, or a portion of, an RNA polymerase promoter sequence. The stem is produced from two substantially complementary nucleic acid sequences able to form an intramolecular hybrid. The secondary structure of the stem decreases the accessibility of the loop promoter sequence to form a functional double-stranded promoter.