OLIGONUCLEOTIDE SCREENING ASSAY

摘要

The invention features a method for assaying the ability of an oligonucleotide to form a hybrid with a target nucleic acid sequence. The featured assay comprises the following steps: (a) contacting a test sample containing a target nucleic acid sequence with an oligonucleotide; (b) treating the test sample with a duplex-altering agent; (c) contacting the treated test sample with a labeled probe under stringent hybridization conditions, wherein the probe can hybridize to non-altered target nucleic acid sequence such that the probe label is protected from subsequent chemical inactivation but the probe cannot hybridize to altered target nucleic acid sequence in a manner which would protect the probe label from subsequent chemical inactivation; and (d) measuring the hybridization of the probe to non-altered target nucleic acid sequence by measuring the amount of protected label. Also described is an assay to measure the ability of a ribozyme to cleave a target nucleic acid sequence, and an assay to measure the ability of an agent to alter nucleic acid.