Zeneca Limited

Clive R Newton

Alexander Fred Markham

The present invention relates to a method for detecting the presence or absence of one or more variant nucleotide sequences. The method comprises (i) contacting a nucleic acid sample with a diagnostic primer which is substantially complementary to a diagnostic portion of a target base sequence, whereby extension of the diagnostic primer on a target template under appropriate conditions is only achieved where a terminal nucleotide of the diagnostic primer is complementary to either a suspected variant nucleotide or a corresponding normal nucleotide of the target base sequence, and (ii) detecting the presence or absence of an extension product. Kits for performing diagnostic tests are also disclosed.

Method of detecting nucleotide sequences

The present invention relates to a method for the amplification of a target nucleotide sequence using a first primer comprising 1) a target binding nucleotide moiety which is substantially complementary to the desired portion of the target nucleotide sequence; and 2) a polynucleotide tail. The first primer is such that while an extension product thereof may itself serve as a template for primer extension to form an amplification primer extension product, formation of an amplification primer extension product comprising a sequence complementary to the polynucleotide tail is inhibited.

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Nr Northwich, United Kingdom

Clive R Newton