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Molecular Beacons for Detection of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms

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Molecular Beacons

Abstract

Molecular beacons have been employed for the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and allele discrimination because of their excellent selectivity in distinguishing single-nucleotide mutation. Moreover, since SNPs represent the most abundant class of the human genome alterations, they have also been used as biomarkers to identify complex disease-related genes and to perform pharmacogenomic analysis of drug response. In this chapter, current molecular beacon-based SNP genotyping methods, chemistries, and platforms are discussed. More specifically, the strategies of developing SNP detection approach based on molecular beacon-incorporated platforms, such as real-time polymerase chain reaction, endonucleases- or ribonuclease-dependent amplification methods, quantum dots or various quencher-based reporting systems, and nucleic acids’ secondary-structure-opening beacon probes, are emphasized. Finally, current efforts in using molecular beacons for real human genome SNP analysis are summarized, providing a guideline for smarter use of molecular beacons for SNP genotyping.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Mingxu You

  2. Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, P.R. China

    Chaoyong James Yang

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Hunan University, Changsha, P.R. China

    Weihong Tan

  4. Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Weihong Tan

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  1. Mingxu You
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  2. Chaoyong James Yang
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  3. Weihong Tan
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Correspondence to Mingxu You .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Biology College of Chemistry and Chemical Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China, People's Republic

    Chaoyong James Yang

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry Hunan University, Changsha, China, People's Republic

    Weihong Tan

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You, M., Yang, C.J., Tan, W. (2013). Molecular Beacons for Detection of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms. In: Yang, C., Tan, W. (eds) Molecular Beacons. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39109-5_4

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