A DNA DIAGNOSTIC TEST USING AN EXONUCLEASE ACTIVITY

摘要

A novel technique for determining the existence or nonexistence of a test nucleotide on a strand of DNA is provided. The determination advantageously uses an exonucleolytic agent that is capable of retaining a labeled nucleotide in a primer if there is a match between the test nucleotide on the strand of DNA and the complementary nucleotide on the primer, but not if there is a mismatch. The presence or absence of the test nucleotide then may be established by determining whether the label is preserved or lost following the reaction.