?:definition
|
-
Molecular assay reagents consisting of a known fragment of nucleic acid, typically labeled with a tag. Probes may be classified according to their chemical structure as DNA or RNA probes, strandedness as double- or single-stranded (ds and ss, respectively), and origin as cloned (recombinant), genomic, or synthesized (oligonucleotides). Probes may be radioactively or nonradioactively (both enzymatic and nonenzymatic) labeled. Nucleic acid probes are used in tests to obtain information about the genetic characteristics of a sample; these procedures are generically known as nucleic acid assays and include hybridization assays, amplification methods (e.g., polymerase chain reaction), and electrophoretic separation.
|