Methods, kits and compositions for the identification of nucleic acids electrostatically bound to matrices

摘要

A method is provided for the detection or quantitation of a target sequence of a nucleic acid molecule in a sample, comprising: a) contacting the sample with a non-nucleotide probe which will hybridise to at least a portion of the target sequence to form a non-nucleotide probe/ target sequence complex; b) contacting the sample with a matrix wherein said nucleic acid molecule will electrostatically bind to the matrix and wherein the backbone of the non-nucleotide probe or probes is sufficiently neutral or positively charged, under electrostatic binding conditions, that it exhibits little or no affinity for the matrix; c) contacting the sample with an enzyme capable of degrading sample contaminants, including the nucleic acid molecule but not the non-nucleotide probe/target sequence complex, at a time after performing step (a); and d) detecting or quantitating the non-nucleotide probe or the non-nucleotide probe/target sequence complex at a time after performing step (b), as a means to detect or quantitate the target sequence in the sample. <??>A kit and a composition for use in such a method are also provided.