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Non-specific binding of primers frequently occurs and may occur for several reasons. These include repeat sequences in the DNA template, non-specific binding between primer and template, high or low G-C content in the template, or incomplete primer binding, leaving the 5' end of the primer unattached to the template.
These cycles normally consist of three stages: the first, at around 95 °C, allows the separation of the nucleic acid's double chain; the second, at a temperature of around 50–60 °C, allows the binding of the primers with the DNA template; [7] the third, at between 68 and 72 °C, facilitates the polymerization carried out by the DNA polymerase.
At lower temperatures, the primers bind less specifically. Nonspecific primer binding obscures polymerase chain reaction results, as the nonspecific sequences to which primers anneal in early steps of amplification will "swamp out" any specific sequences because of the exponential nature of polymerase amplification. [2]
A strip of eight PCR tubes, each containing a 100 μL reaction mixture Placing a strip of eight PCR tubes into a thermal cycler. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample rapidly, allowing scientists to amplify a very small sample of DNA (or a part of it) sufficiently to enable detailed study.
Hot start PCR reduces the amount of non-specific binding through limiting reagents until the heating steps of PCR – limit the reaction early by limiting Taq DNA polymerase in a reaction. Non-specific binding often leads to primer dimers and mis-primed/false primed targets. [11] These can be rectified through modified methods such as:
This allows amplification for a low number of runs in the first round, limiting non-specific products. The second nested primer set should only amplify the intended product from the first round of amplification and not non-specific product. This allows running more total cycles while minimizing non-specific products.
A primer binding site is a region of a nucleotide sequence where an RNA or DNA single-stranded primer binds to start replication. The primer binding site is on one of the two complementary strands of a double-stranded nucleotide polymer, in the strand which is to be copied, or is within a single-stranded nucleotide polymer sequence. [2]
The last 10-12 bases at the 3' end of a primer are sensitive to initiation of polymerase extension and general primer stability on the template binding site. The effect of a single mismatch at these last 10 bases at the 3' end of the primer depends on its position and local structure, reducing the primer binding, selectivity, and PCR efficiency.