Ola-based methods for the detection of target nucleic avid sequences

1. A method for determining the presence, absence or amount of a target nucleotide sequence in a nucleic acid sample, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing to a nucleic acid sample a first probe for each target sequence to be detected in the sample, whereby the first probe has a first target specific section that is complementary to a first part of the target sequence and a second probe for each target sequence to be detected in the sample, whereby the second probe is different from the first probe and has a second target specific section that is complementary to a second part of the target sequence, whereby the first and second part of the target sequence are located adjacent to each other, and whereby the second probe further comprises a tag section that is essentially non-complementary to the target sequence, whereby the tag section comprises a first primer binding sequence;

b) allowing the first and second target specific sections of the first and second probe to anneal to the first and second parts of each target sequence that is present in the sample whereby the first and second target specific sections of the probes are annealed adjacent on the target sequence;

c) providing means for connecting the first and second target specific sections annealed adjacently to the target sequence and allowing the first and second target specific sections to be connected, to produce a connected probe corresponding to a target sequence in the sample;

d) providing to the mixture resulting from step c) a compound primer that is different from both the first probe and the second probe and comprises a section that is complementary to at least part of the first target specific section and further comprises a second primer binding section;

e) allowing the compound primer to anneal to at least part of the first target specific section;

f) elongating the compound primer;

g) providing a set of primers comprising a first primer having a sequence essentially identical to the first primer-binding section, and a second primer that is complementary to the second primer-binding section;

h) amplifying the resulting mixture to produce an amplified sample comprising amplicons that are representations of the connected probes;

i) determining the presence, absence or amount of a target sequence in the sample by detecting the presence, absence or amount of the corresponding amplicon.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first, the second or the first and the second primer have a molar ratio to the compound primer that is between 10 and 1000.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second primer are provided to the mixture resulting from step c) prior the elongation of the compound primer in step f).

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compound primer further comprises a section that is complementary to the second target specific section.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the primer binding sites are universal primer binding sites.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second primers is a selective primer.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an amplicon corresponding to a target sequence in the sample differs in length, mass or label from an amplicon corresponding to different target sequence in the sample.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tag section comprises an identifier sequence.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein for each target sequence in the sample, the corresponding amplicon is provided with an unique identifier sequence.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the presence, absence or amount of a target sequence in a sample is detected by detecting the amplicons representing the connected probes based on molecular mass, length, label or sequence.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the identifier provides the difference in molecular mass, length or sequence.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target sequence is selected from the group of DNA, RNA, mRNA, polyA+RNA, cDNA, genomic DNA, organellar DNA such as mitochondrial or chloroplast DNA, synthetic nucleic acids, DNA libraries, clone banks or any selection or combinations thereof.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first probe further comprises a first clamp section, and a second probe further comprises a second clamp section, wherein the first and second clamp sections are capable of hybridising to each other.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first or the second probe comprises a further region that is not capable of annealing to the target nucleic acid sequence, which further region is located at the end of the first or second probe at the position of the junction site between the first and second sections of the target nucleic acid sequence.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the further region is capable of creating a cleavage structure and whereby exposing the cleavage structure to a cleavage agent will result in cleavage of the cleavage structure when the cleavage structure and cleavage agent are incubated under conditions wherein cleavage can occur.

16. A method for determining the presence, absence or amount of a target nucleotide sequence in a nucleic acid sample, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing to a nucleic acid sample a first probe for each target sequence to be detected in the sample, whereby the first probe has a first target specific section that is complementary to a first part of the target sequence and a second probe for each target sequence to be detected in the sample, whereby the second probe is different from the first probe and has a second target specific section that is complementary to a second part of the target sequence, whereby the first and second part of the target sequence are located adjacent to each other, and whereby the second probe further comprises a tag section that is essentially non-complementary to the target sequence, whereby the tag section comprises a first primer binding sequence;

b) allowing the first and second target specific sections of the first and second probe to anneal to the first and second parts of each target sequence that is present in the sample whereby the first and second target specific sections of the probes are annealed adjacent on the target sequence;

c) providing means for connecting the first and second target specific sections annealed adjacently to the target sequence and allowing the first and second target specific sections to be connected, to produce a connected probe corresponding to a target sequence in the sample;

d) providing to the mixture resulting from step c) a compound primer that is different from both the first probe and the second probe and comprises a section that is complementary to at least part of the first target specific section and further comprises a second primer binding section;

e) allowing the compound primer to anneal to at least part of the first target specific section;

f) elongating the compound primer;

g) providing a set of primers comprising a first primer having a sequence essentially identical to the first primer-binding section, and a second primer that is complementary to the second primer-binding section;

h) amplifying the resulting mixture to produce an amplified sample comprising amplicons that are representations of the connected probes;

i) determining the presence, absence or amount of a target sequence in the sample by detecting the presence, absence or amount of the corresponding amplicon, and wherein said method is used for high throughput detection of a multiplicity of target nucleotide sequences.

17. The method according to claim 16 for the detection of polymorphisms, preferably single nucleotide polymorphism.

18. The method according to claim 16 for transcript profiling, for the detection of the quantitative abundance of target nucleic acid sequences, for genetic mapping, gene discovery, marker assisted selection, seed quality control, hybrid selection, QTL mapping, bulked segregant analysis, DNA fingerprinting and for disclosing information relating to traits, disease resistance, yield, hybrid vigour, and/or gene function.

19. A method for determining the presence, absence or amount of a target nucleotide sequence in a nucleic acid sample, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing to a nucleic acid sample a first probe for each target sequence to be detected in the sample, whereby the first probe has a first target specific section that is complementary to a first part of the target sequence and a second probe, separate from the first probe, for each target sequence to be detected in the sample, whereby the second probe is different from the first probe and has a second target specific section that is complementary to a second part of the target sequence, whereby the first and second part of the target sequence are located adjacent to each other, and whereby the second probe further comprises a tag section that is essentially non-complementary to the target sequence, whereby the tag section comprises a first primer-binding sequence;

b) allowing the first and second target specific sections of the first and second probe to anneal to the first and second parts of each target sequence that is present in the sample whereby the first and second target specific sections of the probes are annealed adjacent on the target sequence;

c) providing means for connecting the first and second target specific sections annealed adjacently to the target sequence and allowing the first and second target specific sections to be connected, to produce a connected probe corresponding to a target sequence in the sample;

d) providing to the mixture resulting from step c) a compound primer that is different from both the first probe and the second probe and comprises a section that is complementary to at least part of the first target specific section on the connected probe and further comprises a second primer binding section;

e) allowing the compound primer to anneal to at least part of the first target specific section on the connected probe;

f) elongating both the compound primer and the connected probe to form a double stranded hybrid of the elongated compound primer and the elongated connected probe;

g) providing a set of primers comprising a first primer having a sequence essentially identical to the first primer-binding section, and a second primer that is complementary to the second primer-binding section;

h) amplifying the resulting mixture to produce an amplified sample comprising amplicons that are representations of the connected probe;

i) determining the presence, absence or amount of a target sequence in the sample by detecting the presence, absence or amount of the corresponding amplicon.