Branched modular primers in DNA sequencing

摘要

The need to synthesize new sequencing primers, such as in primer walking, can be eliminated by assembling modular primers from oligonucleotide modules selected from presynthesized libraries. Our earlier modular primers consisted of 5-mers, 6-mers or 7-mers, annealing to the template contiguously with each other. Here we introduce a novel (open quotes)branched(close quotes) type of modular primer with a distinctly different specificity mechanism. The concept of a (open quotes)branched(close quotes) primer involves modules that are physically linked by annealing to each other as well as to the target, forming a branched structure of the 3-way junction type. While contiguous modular primers are made specific by the preference of the polymerase for longer primer, branched primers, in contrast, owe their specificity to cooperative annealing of their modules to the intended site on the template. This cooperativity of annealing to the template is provided by mutually complementary segments in the two modules that bind each other. Thus the primer-template complex is no longer limited to linear sequences, but acquires another, second dimension giving the modular primer new functionality.