Methods of enzymatic discrimination enhancement and surface bound double-stranded DNA

Abstract

Methods for discriminating between fully complementary hybrids and those that differ by one or more base pairs and libraries of unimolecular, double-stranded oligonucleotides on a solid support. In one embodiment, the present invention provides methods of using nuclease treatment to improve the quality of hybridization signals on high density oligonucleotide arrays. In another embodiment, the present invention provides methods of using ligation reactions to improve the quality of hybridization signals on high density oligonucleotide arrays. In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides libraries of unimolecular or intermolecular, double-stranded oligonucleotides on a solid support. These libraries are useful in pharmaceutical discovery for the screening of numerous biological samples for specific interactions between the double-stranded oligonucleotides, and peptides, proteins, drugs and RNA. In a related aspect, the present invention provides libraries of conformationally restricted probes on a solid support. The probes are restricted in their movement and flexibility using double-stranded oligonucleotides as scaffolding. The probes are also useful in various screening procedures associated with drug discovery and diagnosis. The present invention further provides methods for the preparation and screening of the above libraries.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08 / 327,522, filed Oct. 21, 1994, and U.S. Ser. No. 08 / 327,687, filed Oct. 24, 1994, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.GOVERNMENT RIGHTS [0002] Research leading to the invention was funded in part by NIH Grant No. ______, and the government may have certain rights to the invention.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The relationship between structure and function of macromolecules is of fundamental importance in the understanding of biological systems. Such relationships are important to understanding, for example, the functions of enzymes, structural proteins, and signalling proteins, the ways in which cells communicate with one another, the mechanisms of cellular control and metabolic feedback, etc. [0004] Genetic information is critical in the continuation of life processes. Life is substantially informationally based, and genetic cont...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] In one embodiment, the present invention provides methods of using nuclease treatment to improve the quality of hybridization signals on high density oligonucleotide arrays. More particularly, in one such method, an array of oligonucleotides is combined with a labelled target nucleic acid to form target-oligonucleotide hybrid complexes. Thereafter, the target-oligonucleotide hybrid complexes are treated with a nuclease and, in turn, the array of target-oligonucleotide complexes are washed to remove non-perfectly complementary target-oligonucleotide hybrid complexes. Following nuclease treatment, the target:oligonucleotide hybrid complexes which are perfectly complementary are more readily identified. From the location of the labelled targets, the oligonucleotide probes which hybridized with the targets can be identified and, in turn, the sequence of the target nucleic acid can be more readily determined or verified.

[0017] In another embodiment, the present invention provides methods wherein ligation reactions are used to discriminate between fully complementary hybrids and those that differ by one or more base pairs. In one such method, an array of oligonucleotides is generated on a substrate (in the 3′ to 5′ direction) using any one of the methods described herein. Each of the oligonucleotides in the array is shorter in length than the target nucleic acid so that when hybridized to the target nucleic acid, the target nucleic acid generally has a 3′ overhang. In this embodiment, the target nucleic acid is not necessarily labelled. After the array of oligonucleotides has been combined with the target nucleic acid to form target-oligonucleotide hybrid complexes, the target-oligonucleotide hybrid complexes are contacted with a ligase and a labelled, ligatable probe or, alternatively, with a pool of labelled, ligatable probes. The ligation reaction of the labelled, ligatable probes to the 5′ end of the oligonucleotide probes on the substrate will occur, in the presence of the ligase, only when the target:oligonucleotide hybrid has formed with correct base-pairing near the 5′ end of the oligonucleotide probe and where there is a suitable 3′ overhang of the target nucleic acid to serve as a template for hybridization and ligation. After the ligation reaction, the substrate is washed (multiple times if necessary) with water at a temperature of about 40° C. to 50° C. to remove the unbound target nucleic acid and the labelled, unligated probes. Thereafter, a quantitative fluorescence image of the hybridization pattern is obtained by scanning the substrate with, for example, a confocal microscope, and labelled oligonucleotide probes, i.e., the oligonucleotide probes which are perfectly complementary to the target nucleic acid, are identified. Using this information, the sequence of the target nucleic acid can be more readily determined or verified.

Problems solved by technology

Both methods, however, require a practitioner to perform a large number of complex, manual manipulations.

For example, such methods usually require the isolation of homogeneous DNA fragments, elaborate and tedious preparation of samples, preparation of a separating gel, application of samples to the gel, electrophoresing the samples on the gel, working up the finished gel, and analysis of the results of the procedure.

Unfortunately, each of these techniques produces only a relatively low density array of polymers.

For example, the technique described in Geysen, et al. is limited to producing 96 different polymers on pins spaced in the dimensions of a standard microtiter plate.

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