Electrically stimulated complexes of nucleic acids

Abstract

A method for determining an affinity of a first nucleobase-containing sequence for a second nucleobase-containing sequence includes providing a test medium containing the first nucleobase-containing sequence and the second nucleobase-containing sequence, applying a voltage across the test medium, measuring a test electric current through the test medium; and determining the affinity by evaluating whether the test electric current is equivalent to a reference electric current of a reference medium containing a longer of the first nucleobase-containing sequence and the second nucleobase-containing sequence. A complex in an electrically-stimulated phase contains at least two nucleobase-containing sequences in a medium, wherein the electrical conductivity of the medium increases linearly without a plateau as the temperature of the medium approaches and exceeds a Tm of the complex.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for determining an affinity of a first nucleobase-containing sequence for a second nucleobase-containing sequence, said method comprising: 
 providing a test medium containing said first nucleobase-containing sequence and said second nucleobase-containing sequence, wherein said first nucleobase-containing sequence and said second nucleobase-containing sequence are of different lengths;    applying a voltage across said test medium;    measuring a test electric current through said test medium; and    determining said affinity by evaluating whether said test electric current is equivalent to a reference electric current of a reference medium containing a longer of said first nucleobase-containing sequence and said second nucleobase-containing sequence.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first nucleobase-containing sequence and said second nucleobase-containing sequence are single-stranded, and said first nucleobase-containing sequence has no affinity for said second nucleobase-containing sequence when said test electric current is more than said reference electric current.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first nucleobase-containing sequence and said second nucleobase-containing sequence are single-stranded, and said first nucleobase-containing sequence has affinity for said second nucleobase-containing sequence when said test electric current is equivalent to said reference electric current.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said affinity is parallel homologous bonding, antiparallel homologous bonding, parallel complementary bonding or antiparallel complementary bonding.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said affinity is non-bonding association.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first nucleobase-containing sequence and said second nucleobase-containing sequence are double-stranded, and said first nucleobase-containing sequence has no affinity for said second nucleobase-containing sequence when said test electric current is equivalent to said reference electric current.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first nucleobase-containing sequence and said second nucleobase-containing sequence are double-stranded, and said first nucleobase-containing sequence has affinity for said second nucleobase-containing sequence when said test electric current is more than said reference electric current.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said affinity is parallel homologous bonding, antiparallel homologous bonding, parallel complementary bonding or antiparallel complementary bonding.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said affinity is non-bonding association.  
     
     
         10 . A complex in an electrically stimulated phase comprising at least two nucleobase-containing sequences in a medium, wherein the electrical conductivity of the medium increases linearly without a plateau as the temperature of the medium approaches and exceeds a Tm of the complex.  
     
     
         11 . The complex of  claim 10 , wherein the electrical conductivity of a medium containing the complex in an electrically unstimulated phase plateaus as the temperature of the medium approaches and exceeds the Tm of the complex.  
     
     
         12 . The complex of  claim 10 , at a temperature above the Tm of the complex.  
     
     
         13 . The complex of  claim 10 , wherein the at least two nucleobase-containing sequences are bonded together by Watson-Crick complementary base bonding.  
     
     
         14 . The complex of  claim 10 , wherein the at least two nucleobase-containing sequences are bonded together by homologous base bonding.  
     
     
         15 . The complex of  claim 10 , wherein the at least two nucleobase-containing sequences are not bonded together by Watson-Crick complementary base bonding or by homologous base bonding.