title: Molecular beacons: an optimal multifunctional biological probe.
abstract: Molecular beacon technology is set up based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and the complementary pairing principles. These fluorescent molecular probes, which are very highly specific and sensitive, have now become one important tool in medical and biological researches. This review introduces the molecular beacons structure, principle, the main impact factors, the labeling of the molecular beacons, and research progress on molecular beacons fluorescent-label in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequence analysis, gene dynamic detection in living cells, protein (enzyme)-nucleic acid interactions and applications in clinical medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science & Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Duyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011506:Proteins; D004247:DNA