Real-time linear detection probes: sensitive 5′-minor groove binder-containing probes for amplification (or PCR) analysis

1. A method for distinguishing between wild-type, mutant and heterozygous target polynucleotides, said method comprising:

(a) contacting a sample containing a target polynucleotide with two probes wherein a first probe is specific for said wild-type target polynucleotide and a second probe is specific for said mutant target polynucleotide, each of said probes having a formula:

wherein MB is a minor groove binder, Q is a quencher, ODN is an oligonucleotide or modified oligonucleotide, K is a bond or a linking group, Fl is a fluorophore and W is a trivalent linking group that provides sufficient spacing between the MB, F and ODN components such that: i) MB binds in the minor groove when said oligonucleotide conjugate hybridizes to said target sequence; ii) in an unhybridized form, the fluorescence of Fl in said oligonucleotide conjugate is less than 10% of unquenched fluorescence; and iii) when said oligonucleotide conjugate hybridizes to said target sequence, the fluorescence of Fl is at least 50% of its unquenched fluorescence; and wherein the conjugate forms a stable hybrid only with said target sequence that is perfectly complementary to the ODN portion of said conjugate, and the conjugate does not form a stable hybrid with any of the other polynucleotides; and

(b) measuring the fluorescence produced on hybrid formation as a function of temperature, and using melting curve analysis to indicate the presence or absence of each of said wild-type, mutant and heterozygous target polynucleotides.

2. A method of claim 1 , wherein the melting temperatures (T m ) for each hybrid produced between said first and second probes and their respective targets are within about 5° C. of each other.

3. A method of claim 1 , wherein the ODN portion of each of said probes is an oligonucleotide or modified oligonucleotide having from 8 to 18 bases or modified bases.

4. A method of claim 1 , wherein the ODN portion of each of said probes is an oligonucleotide or modified oligonucleotide having from 10 to 15 bases or modified bases.

5. A method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorophore portions of each of said probes are selected from the group consisting of 5-carboxyfluorescein (5-FAM™), 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM™), 6-carboxy-2′,4,7,7′-tetrachlorofluorescein (TET™), 6-carboxy-4′,5′-dichloro-2′,7′-dimethoxyfluorescein (JOE™), 6-carboxy-2′,4,4′,5′,7,7′-hexachlorofluorescein (HEX™), 6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA™), 5-carboxy -x-rhodamine (ROX™),

6. A method of claim 1 , wherein the ODN portion of each of said probes contains at least one modified base.

7. A method of claim 6 , wherein each modified base is independently selected from the group consisting of 6-amino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4(5H)-one, 4-amino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 1H-pyrazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-4(5H)-6(7H)-dione, 6-4 amino-3-prop-1-ynyl-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-one, 6-amino-3-(3-hydroxyprop-1 -yny)1-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-one, 6-amino-3-(3-aminoprop-1-ynyl)-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-one, 4-amino-3-(prop-1-ynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 4 -amino-3-(3-hydroxyprop-1-ynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 4-amino-3-(3-aminoprop-1-ynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 3-prop-1-ynyl-4,6-diaminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 2-(4,6 -diaminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-3-yl)ethyn-1-ol, 3-(2-aminoethynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 5-prop-1-ynyl-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2,4-dione, 5-(3-hydroxyprop-1-ynyl)-1,3 -dihydropyrimidine-2,4-dione, 6-amino-5-prop-1-ynyl-3-dihydropyrimidine-2-one, 6-amino-5-(3-hydroxyprop-1-yny)-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2-one, 6-amino-5-(3-aminoprop-1-yny)-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2-one, 5-[4-amino-3-(3-methoxyprop-1-ynyl)pyrazol[3,4-d]pyrimidinyl]-2-(hydroxym- ethyl)oxolan-3-ol, 6-amino-1-[4-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-3-(3-methoxyprop-1-ynyl)-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one, 4-(4,6-Diamino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-3-yl)-but-3-yn-1-ol, 6-Amino-3-(4-hydroxy-but-1-ynyl)-1,5-dihydro -pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one, 5-(4-hydroxy-but-1-ynyl)-1H-pyrimidine-2,4-dione, 3-iodo-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 3-bromo-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 3-chloro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 3-Iodo-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ylamine, 3-Bromo-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ylamine and 3-chloro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ylamine.

8. A method of claim 1 , wherein said sample is further contacted with a set of primers under amplification conditions and each of said primers contains from one to ten modified bases selected from the group consisting of 6-amino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4(5H)-one, 4-amino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 1H-pyrazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-4(5H)-6(7H)-dione, 6-amino-3-prop-1-ynyl-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-one, 6-amino-3-(3 -hydroxyprop-1-yny)1-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-one, 6-amino-3-(3-aminoprop-1 -ynyl)-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-one, 4-amino-3-(prop-1-ynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 4-amino-3-(3-hydroxyprop-1-ynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 4-amino-3-(3-aminoprop-1-ynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 3-prop-1-ynyl-4,6-diaminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine, 2-(4,6-diaminopyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-3-yl)ethyn-1-ol, 3-(2-aminoethynyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 5-prop-1-ynyl-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2,4-dione, 5-(3-hydroxyprop-1-ynyl)-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2,4-dione, 6-amino-5-prop-1-ynyl-3-dihydropyrimidine-2-one, 6-amino-5-(3-hydroxyprop-1-yny)-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2-one, 6-amino-5-(3-aminoprop-1-yny)-1,3-dihydropyrimidine-2-one, 5-[4-amino-3-(3-methoxyprop-1-ynyl)pyrazol[3,4-d]pyrimidinyl]-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-3-ol, 6-amino-1-[4-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-3-(3-methoxyprop-1-ynyl)-5-hydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one, 4-(4,6-Diamino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-3-yl)-but-3-yn-1-ol, 6-Amino-3-(4-hydroxy-but-1-ynyl)-1,5-dihydro-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one, 5-(4-hydroxy-but-1-ynyl)-1H-pyrimidine-2,4-dione, 3-iodo-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 3-bromo-1H -pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 3-chloro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4,6-diamine, 3-Iodo-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ylamine, 3-Bromo-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ylamine and 3-chloro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ylamine.