Solution sandwich hybridization, capture and detection of amplified nucleic acids

Claim 1

A nucleic acid probe assay for the detection and/or measurement of a preselected target nucleic acid sequence in a sample comprising the steps of: (A) rendering the target nucleic acid single-stranded; (B) amplifying at least one specific nucleic acid sequence contained within the preselected nucleic acid sequence by (1) treating the strands with two oligonucleotide primers, for each different specific sequence being amplified, under conditions such that for each different sequence being amplified an extension product of each primer is synthesized which is complementary to each nucleic acid strand, wherein said primers are selected so as to be sufficiently complementary to the different strands of each specific sequence to hybridize therewith such that the extension product synthesized from one primer, when it is separated from its complement, can serve as a template for synthesis of the extension product of the other primer; (2) separating the primer extension products from the templates on which they were synthesized to produce single-stranded molecules; and (3) treating the single-stranded molecules generated from step (2) with the primers of step (1) under conditions that a primer extension product is synthesized using each of the single strands produced in step (2) as a template; (4) repeating steps (2) and (3) to produce sufficient primer extension product for detection and/or measurement; (C) rendering the product or products of step (B)(4) single-stranded; (D) contacting the product or products of step (C) simultaneously with capture and reporter probes in solution and with a solid support having an anchor receptor group on its surface; wherein said capture probe is complementary to a portion of a primer extension product not including the nucleic acid sequences defined by both primers; wherein said reporter probe is complementary to a portion of a primer extension product not including the nucleic acid sequences defined by the capture probe and by both primers; wherein the capture and reporter probes are complementary to the same nucleic acid strand; and wherein the anchor receptor group on the surface of the solid support is capable of interacting with the anchor group of the capture probe leading to the immobilization of the sandwich product formed in this step; (E) removing any unhybridized reporter probe; and (F) detecting and/or measuring the reporter group or reporter groups immobilized on the solid support, wherein said detection and/or measurement is directly correlated to the detection and/or measurement of said target nucleic acid sequence.