
The power of LNA enhancement
Locked nucleic acids (LNA) are a class of high-affinity RNA analogs in which the ribose ring is "locked" into the ideal conformation for Watson-Crick binding. These oligonucleotides have substantially increased affinity for their complementary strand, when compared with traditional DNA or RNA oligonucleotides. This results in unprecedented sensitivity and specificity and makes LNA-enhanced oligos excellent tools for detecting and differentiating small or highly similar DNA or RNA targets in many research applications. Discover more about LNA in our Learning Hub.
Unique systems developed specifically for miRNA profiling
Both the miRCURY LNA miRNA PCR System, which uses SYBR Green for detection, and the new probe-based miRCURY LNA miRNA Probe PCR System offer the best available combination of performance and ease-of-use on the market through a unique combination of features, but differ in detection strategy.
- Both systems use one cDNA reaction for all miRNAs – A single universal first-strand cDNA synthesis reaction is used as the template, regardless of the number of miRNAs being profiled. This saves precious sample, reduces technical variation, minimizes pipetting and saves time in the laboratory.
- The miRCURY LNA miRNA PCR System uses two LNA-enhanced, miRNA-specific qPCR primers and SYBR Green for the signal detection (see Schematic outline of the miRCURY LNA miRNA PCR System). The miRCURY LNA miRNA Probe PCR System uses an LNA-enhanced, miRNA-specific forward primer and an LNA-enhanced, miRNA-specific hydrolysis probe (see miRCURY LNA miRNA Probe PCR System at a glance). LNA-enhancement ensures that the primers of both systems and the probe of the latter bind with high affinity. Primers and probe are also shorter than standard PCR primers, so they can be designed to be fully miRNA-specific without overlapping. The result is unrivalled sensitivity and specificity and extremely low background.