NUCLEIC ACID PROBE, NUCLEIC ACID CHIP, METHOD OF DETECTING TARGET NUCLEIC ACID, METHOD OF SCREENING DRUG, APPARATUS FOR DETECTING TARGET NUCLEIC ACID AND GENE DIAGNOSIS METHOD

摘要

A nucleic acid probe for highly sensitively, highly accurately and quickly detecting a target nucleic acid in a trace amount which is designed so that, after hybridization with the target nucleic acid, the nucleic acid probe undergoes a structural change, thus shows a lowered binding force in the hybridization and, in its turn, is detached from the target nucleic acid. This nucleic acid probe comprises a cleavage part which is hybridizable with the target nucleic acid and, upon the hybridization with the target nucleic acid, cleaved to thereby give a first probe fragment and a second probe fragment at least one of which can be detached from the target nucleic acid, and a signal generation part capable of generating a signal. This nucleic acid probe has a cleavage part at which it is cleaved upon the hybridization with the target nucleic acid and, until the hybridization with the target nucleic acid, parts of the nucleic acid probe are hybridized with each other in its molecule to form a locked structure.