Methods, reagents and kits for detection of nucleic acid molecules

1. A method for detecting an antisense probe on a solid support comprising:

a) contacting a solid support having thereon an antisense probe comprising the complementary nucleotide sequence of a target nucleic acid molecule with a labeled target nucleic acid molecule comprising a linear dendritic polynucleotide, the linear dendritic polynucleotide comprising an oligonucleotide extension sequence having a 5′ phosphate group, and first, second and third polynucleotide monomers bonded together by hybridization in a 5′-3′ orientation, each polynucleotide monomer, prior to being hybridization bonded to one another, having first, second and third single stranded hybridization regions; the third single stranded hybridization region of the first polynucleotide monomer being hybridization bonded to the first single stranded hybridization region of the second polynucleotide monomer, and the third single stranded hybridization region of the second polynucleotide monomer being hybridization bonded to the first single stranded hybridization region of the third polynucleotide monomer, and the first single stranded region of the first polynucleotide monomer being hybridization bonded to a bridging oligonucleotide,

wherein the second single stranded hybridization regions of the linear dendritic polynucleotide are hybridization bonded to one or more labeled oligonucleotides comprising one or more label molecules,

wherein the bridging oligonucleotide is hybridization bonded to the target nucleic acid molecule and the oligonucleotide extension sequence,

wherein the labeled target nucleic acid molecule is produced by a method comprising: a) providing a single stranded target nucleic acid molecule having 5′ and 3′ ends; b) attaching an oligonucleotide tail onto the 3′ end of the single stranded target nucleic acid molecule; c) annealing the first single stranded region of the first polynucleotide monomer of the linear dendritic polynucleotide to the oligonucleotide tail by complementary base pairing; and d) ligating a 5′ end of the linear dendritic polynucleotide to the 3′ end of the oligonucleotide tail, thereby attaching the linear dendritic polynucleotide to the 3′ end of the single stranded nucleic acid molecule to produce the labeled target nucleic acid molecule,

wherein the linear dendritic polynucleotide has a total molecular weight of about 50 to about 350 kDa;

b) incubating the solid support and the labeled target nucleic acid molecule for a time and at a temperature sufficient to enable the labeled target nucleic acid molecule to hybridize to the antisense probe;

c) washing the solid support to remove unhybridized labeled target nucleic acid molecule; and

d) detecting the signal from the hybridized labeled target nucleic acid molecule, thereby detecting the antisense probe on the solid support.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bridging oligonucleotide is hybridization bonded to a poly(A) tail of a target RNA molecule.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the labeled target nucleic acid molecule is a labeled RNA molecule.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the labeled RNA molecule is a labeled miRNA molecule.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid support is a planar solid support or a bead.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the labeled target nucleic acid molecule is a labeled DNA molecule.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear dendritic polynucleotide comprises 10-15 label molecules.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear dendritic polynucleotide comprises a labeling molecule selected from the group consisting of radioactive molecules, fluorescent molecules and chemiluminescent molecules, and enzymes used in colorimetric assays.