title: An improved technique for the in situ detection of DNA after polymerase chain reaction amplification.
abstract: In situ detection of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified DNA in cell and tissue preparations previously required 5 to 7 primer pairs designed to generate a long (greater than 1,000 base pair) product. The authors describe a nonisotopic PCR in situ technique, employing a single primer pair and target sequences as short as 115 base pairs, that can detect one target molecule per cell. The essential procedural change is to withhold the DNA polymerase or primers until the reaction temperature approaches 80 degrees C. The Hot-Start method greatly increased amplification specificity which, more than product size, appears to determine success of in situ PCR. The marked improvement in specificity may permit target detection by direct incorporation of labeled nucleotides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, SUNY, Stony Brook 11794-8691.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nuovo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gallery
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: MacConnell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bloch
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral