Venkatesan N, Seo YJ, Kim BH. Quencher-free molecular beacons: a new strategy in fluorescence based nucleic acid analysis.
Chem Soc Rev 2008;
37:648-63. [PMID:
18362974 DOI:
10.1039/b705468h]
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Abstract
Molecular beacons (MBs) have been used as viable fluorescent probes in nucleic acid analysis. Many researchers around the world continue to modify the MBs to suit their needs. As a result, a number of nucleic acid probing systems with close resemblance to the MBs are being reported from time to time. Quencher-free molecular beacons (QF-MBs) are a significant modification of the conventional MB; in QF-MBs the quencher part has been eliminated. Despite the absence of the quencher, the QF-MBs can identify specific target DNA. They can also be used in SNP typing and in real-time PCR analysis for quantification of DNAs. The design, factors behind functioning and applications of different types of QF-MBs and closely related quencher-free nucleic acid probing systems (QF-NAPs) have been described in this tutorial review.
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