描述了一种利用特殊的双链引物突触引物，用于核酸扩增的特异定量检测，在传统的引物的5，端标记荧光物质，而在引物的互补序列的3，端标记荧光淬灭剂以封闭其延伸，二者杂交即成双链突触引物，在制备PCR反应混合物阶段以及加热的初期，突触引物保持稳定的双链结构而不能引导扩增，在退火阶段，突触引物部分解链导致引物延伸，荧光物质与淬灭剂分开而产生荧光，利用人β珠蛋白基因对此方法进行了验证，这种可自行退火的荧光引物不仅简单地实现了实时扩增，同时比常规的热启动PCR更有效地提高了扩增的特异性。

Simple and reliable genotyping technology is a key to success for high-throughput genetic screening in the post-genome era. Here we have developed a new real-time PCR genotyping approach that uses displacement hybridization-based probes: displacing probes. The speci

We have developed a new class of probes for homogeneous nucleic acid detection based on the proposed displacement hybridization. Our probes consist of two complementary oligodeoxyribonucleotides of different length labeled with a fluorophore and a quencher in close proximity in the duplex. The probes on their own are quenched, but they become fluorescent upon displacement hybridization with the target. These probes display complete discrimination between a perfectly matched target and single nucleotide mismatch targets. A comparison of double-stranded probes with corresponding linear probes confirms that the presence of the complementary strand significantly enhances their specificity. Using four such probes labeled with different color fluorophores, each designed to recognize a different target, we have demonstrated that multiple targets can be distinguished in the same solution, even if they differ from one another by as little as a single nucleotide. Double-stranded probes were used in real-time nucleic acid amplifications as either probes or as primers. In addition to its extreme specificity and flexibility, the new class of probes is simple to design and synthesize, has low cost and high sensitivity and is accessible to a wide range of labels. This class of probes should find applications in a variety of areas wherever high specificity of nucleic acid hybridization is relevant.

A rapid and simple homogeneous fluorescence PCR assay was developed for the clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases based on a molecular beacon. The established method could reproducibly detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis at the 10 bacteria/mL level. The analytical specificity was tested with 14 strains of mycobacterium, four unrelated bacteria and 220 negative samples; no false positive results were obtained. A blind test was also performed to evaluate its performance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis diagnosis. The results showed that both the clinical sensitivity and the specificity were 100%, and that the detection limit was in the range of 1-10 bacteria/ml. A clinical study with 466 patient samples demonstrated that fluorescence PCR assay correlated well with smear (93.6%) and culture (98.4%) methods for positive samples. However, fluorescence PCR could detect positive samples (62.9%) more than smear (30.3%) and culture (31.4%), indicating a higher sensitivity of the present method than the traditional ones. The feasibility of this method was further approved by successful detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis.

将对虾白斑杆状病毒的一段特异性DNA设计成分子信标探针，用于该病毒的PCR检测，温度与荧光强度之间的关系表明，所设计探针的发夹既可以形成也可以打开，符合PCR对分子信标探针的要求，结果表明，在PCR同时加入分子信标探针不影响PCR扩增，分子信标探针只能与目的DNA杂交，具有较高的特异性，随着PCR循环数的增加以及含目的DNA的质粒拷贝数的增加，荧光强度都随之增强。