polymerase chain reaction

(pŏl`ĭmərās') (PCR), laboratory process in which a particular DNA segment from a mixture of DNA chains is rapidly replicated, producing a large, readily analyzed sample of a piece of DNA; the process is sometimes called DNA amplification.

The Process

In PCR, DNA (see nucleic acidnucleic acid,
any of a group of organic substances found in the chromosomes of living cells and viruses that play a central role in the storage and replication of hereditary information and in the expression of this information through protein synthesis.
..... Click the link for more information. ) is immersed in a solution containing the enzymeenzyme,
biological catalyst. The term enzyme comes from zymosis, the Greek word for fermentation, a process accomplished by yeast cells and long known to the brewing industry, which occupied the attention of many 19th-century chemists.
..... Click the link for more information. DNA polymerase, unattached nucleotide bases (the subunits that DNA is composed of), and "primers," short sequences of nucleotides designed to bind with an end of the desired DNA segment. Two primers are used: one primer binds at one end of the desired segment on one of the two paired DNA strands, and the other primer binds at the other end but on the other strand. The solution is heated to break the bonds between the strands of the DNA. When the solution cools, the primers bind to the separated strands, and DNA polymerase quickly builds a new strand by joining the free nucleotide bases to the primers. When this process is repeated, a strand that was formed with one primer binds to the other primer, resulting in a new strand that is restricted solely to the desired segment. Thus the region of DNA between the primers is selectively replicated. Further repetitions of the process can produce billions of copies of a small piece of DNA in several hours.

Development and Applications

PCR was developed in 1985 by Kary B. Mullis, who was awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work. It is used in DNA fingerprintingDNA fingerprinting
or DNA profiling,
any of several similar techniques for analyzing and comparing DNA from separate sources, used especially in law enforcement to identify suspects from hair, blood, semen, or other biological materials found at the scene of a violent
..... Click the link for more information. and in medical tests to identify diseases from the infectious agent's DNA. In forensic use, the test can be used to compare two samples of DNA, usually by looking at matches (or mismatches) of six inherited traits (e.g., hair curliness) from each of the samples. Each trait is controlled by a single gene, each gene having at least two forms, or alleles, resulting in 21 combinations of these alleles, some of them very rare. A nonmatch conclusively excludes a suspect. PCR also is used in taxonomic classificationclassification,
in biology, the systematic categorization of organisms into a coherent scheme. The original purpose of biological classification, or systematics, was to organize the vast number of known plants and animals into categories that could be named, remembered, and
..... Click the link for more information. to help show evolutionary relationships between organisms on the molecular level. It has the advantage of being able to be used even when only very small samples, such as tiny pieces of preserved tissue from extinct animals, are available.

polymerase chain reaction

[pə¦lim·ə‚rās ′chān rē‚ak·shən] (cell and molecular biology) A technique for copying and amplifying the complementary strands of a target deoxyribonucleic acid molecule. Abbreviated PCR.

polymerase chain reaction

polymerase

[pah-lim´er-ās] an enzyme that catalyzes polymerization.polymerase chain reaction a rapid technique for in vitro amplification of specific DNA or RNA sequences, allowing small quantities of short sequences to be analyzed without cloning.

pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion (PCR),

an enzymatic method for the repeated copying of the two strands of DNA of a particular gene sequence. It is widely used to amplify minute quantities of biologic material so as to provide adequate specimens for laboratory study.

The replication of DNA in the living cell is facilitated by polymerases. The two DNA chains of the double helix first unzip from one another, and DNA polymerase then generates a copy of each strand by adding free nucleotides to form a sequence of base pairs complementary with the sequence in the strand. The laboratory technique known as PCR, for which the American biochemist Kary Mullis won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993, exploits the capacity of DNA polymerase to assemble new DNA. Taq polymerase, named for its source, Thermus aquaticus, a thermophilic bacterium, is added to a mixture of free nucleotides and primers. (Primers are specially prepared units containing both RNA and DNA with a free terminus where the polymerase will react.) The short sequence of DNA to be amplified is flanked by two primers. After the reaction begins, the polymerase generates numerous copies of the target sequence. The sequential phases of the reaction are initiated simply by making a series of strategic changes in the temperature of the system. Millions of copies of the target sequence can be generated by cyclically repeating these temperature changes as many as 30 times, each DNA strand produced by 1 cycle giving rise to many more in the next. Coupled with appropriate detection methods, the technique can confirm the presence of any gene or short DNA sequence, even when only a few copies of the target molecule are present in the specimen. PCR technology is both highly sensitive and highly specific, and does not require prior purification of the specimen. It is used in the diagnosis of infectious diseases through identification of microbial pathogens in clinical material, including organisms that are difficult or impossible to culture either by their nature or because of prior treatment with antimicrobial agents. PCR also has application to genetic testing, including surveillance for heritable defects in parents or fetus; to oncology, for detection of mutations in tumor suppressor genes in neoplasms and, in particular, in microscopically benign tumor margins; and to forensic medicine, for DNA fingerprinting and determination of paternity.

polymerase chain reaction

n. Abbr. PCR A technique for amplifying DNA sequences in vitro by separating the DNA into two strands and incubating it with oligonucleotide primers and DNA polymerase. It can amplify a specific sequence of DNA as many as one billion times and is important in biotechnology, forensics, medicine, and genetic research.

polymerase chain reaction

Molecular biology A molecular technique that uses DNA polymerases from high-temperature bacteria–known as extremophiles to rapidly amplify–ie, ↑ the number of copies of–a sequence of DNA in a sample; starting from minimal amounts–<< 1 µg–as little as one copy of a sequence of DNA, PCR exponentially amplifies a target DNA sequence, which has been inserted between 2 oligonucleotide primers through multiple amplification cycles Application Prenatal Dx of hereditary disease–sickle cell anemia, PKU, cystic fibrosis; ID gene rearrangements in lymphoproliferative disorders, determine fetal sex, Lyme disease, TB, Chlamydia trachomatis, ID viruses–HIV, CMV, HPV, HBV, delineate viral link to cancer–HTLV-1, HPV, bacteria, parasites, pathogenic mechanisms–DM, pemphigus vulgaris, myasthenia gravis, oncogene-induced cancer Sensitivity In detecting leukemia in BM–Bx has a 65-75% sensitivity, Southern blot analysis of gene rearrangement, 98-99% sensitivity, PCR, 99.999%. See Allele-specific PCR, AP-PCR, DNA amplification, Fluorophore-enhanced repetitive sequence-based-PCR, Inverse PCR, Jumping PCR, Multiplex PCR, Nested PCR, Reverse-transcriptase PCR, Semi-nested PCR, Touchdown PCR. Cf Ligase chain reaction.

pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion

(PCR) (pŏ-lim'ĕr-ās chān rē-ăk'shŭn) An enzymatic method for the repeated copying and amplification of the two strands of DNA of a particular gene sequence.

polymerase chain reaction

An important technique for rapidly producing large numbers of copies of any required sequence of DNA. DNA is separated by heat into its two strands, small molecules called primers are attached to the sequences at either end of the target sequence, and an enzyme, DNA polymerase, is used to build a new strand of the section between the primers. This becomes a template for the production of further strands and in twenty cycles a million copies are made. The polymerase chain reaction is one of the most powerful techniques currently in use in biological science. The American biochemist inventor of the process, Karry B. Mullis, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1993.

Fig. 256 Polymerase chain reaction . The basic reaction.

polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

a method for amplifying specific DNA sequences in vitro. The technique exploits some of the features of DNA REPLICATION and permits millions or billions of copies of a DNA sequence to be produced within few hours. In order to carry out the basic PCR reaction (see Fig. 256 ), two PRIMERS that flank the DNA region to be amplified (the target) and that hybridize (see MOLECULAR HYBRIDIZATION) to the opposite strands of the double-stranded DNA, are needed. The double-stranded target DNA is heat-denatured (see DENATURATION).to separate the two strands and, on cooling, a primer is annealed to the complementary sequence in each of the strands. The primers are extended using DNA POLYMERASE, which copies each of the TEMPLATE strands. (A heat-stable DNA polymerase, which will not be impaired by heat during later steps in the reaction, and which therefore allows the process to be automated without the need to add enzyme at each cycle, is preferred.

For this reason, a thermo-stable enzyme, such as Taq polymerase obtained from a THERMOPHILIC BACTERIUM, is commonly used.) This produces two double-stranded DNA molecules, which, following their heat-denaturation, can serve as templates for another cycle of amplification. Primers are again annealed and extended by DNA synthesis. In this way, a doubling of the amount of DNA previously present occurs. The termini of the amplified sequence are defined by the primers. A series of cycles involving heat-denaturation, primer annealing and DNA synthesis by primer extension results in the amplification of the target DNA at approximately 2n, where n is the number of cycles. Thus the ‘chain reaction’, once set up, results in the exponential amplification of the starting DNA. Taq polymerase does not have an EDITING function and so errors (in the form of incorrect BASES) may be introduced during DNA synthesis. To reduce the frequency of such errors, the PCR may be started with a large number of DNA template molecules, if available, so that fewer cycles are needed to amplify the DNA. Alternatively, other enzymes, with increased fidelity (which are gradually becoming available) may be used. The PCR is useful for amplifying DNA initially present in very low amounts, so that sufficient is available for subsequent analysis. The applications of the PCR are potentially enormous. It has been used to amplify DNA in, for example, DNA FINGERPRINTING; the analysis of ancient DNA from fossils; mapping of the human GENOME; the detection of microorganisms present in low numbers in food and water samples; and so on.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

A test performed to evaluate false-negative results to the ELISA and Western blot tests. In PCR testing, numerous copies of a gene are made by separating the two strands of DNA containing the gene segment, marking its location, using DNA polymerase to make a copy, and then continuously replicating the copies. The amplification of gene sequences that are associated with HIV allows for detection of the virus by this method.Mentioned in: AIDS Tests

pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion

(PCR) (pŏ-lim'ĕr-ās chān rē-ăk'shŭn) An enzymatic method for the repeated copying and amplification of the two strands of DNA of a particular gene sequence.

单词	polymerase chain reaction
释义	polymerase chain reaction polymerase chain reaction n. Abbr. PCR A technique for amplifying DNA sequences in vitro by separating the DNA into two strands and incubating it with oligonucleotide primers and DNA polymerase. It can amplify a specific sequence of DNA as many as one billion times and is important in biotechnology, forensics, medicine, and genetic research. pol′ymerase chain′ reac`tion n. the laboratory production of numerous copies of a gene by separating the two strands of the DNA containing the gene segment, marking its location with a primer, and using a DNA polymerase to assemble a copy alongside each segment and continuously copy the copies. Abbr.: PCR Translations polymerase chain reaction polymerase chain reaction (pŏl`ĭmərās') (PCR), laboratory process in which a particular DNA segment from a mixture of DNA chains is rapidly replicated, producing a large, readily analyzed sample of a piece of DNA; the process is sometimes called DNA amplification. The Process In PCR, DNA (see nucleic acidnucleic acid, any of a group of organic substances found in the chromosomes of living cells and viruses that play a central role in the storage and replication of hereditary information and in the expression of this information through protein synthesis. ..... Click the link for more information. ) is immersed in a solution containing the enzymeenzyme, biological catalyst. The term enzyme comes from zymosis, the Greek word for fermentation, a process accomplished by yeast cells and long known to the brewing industry, which occupied the attention of many 19th-century chemists. ..... Click the link for more information. DNA polymerase, unattached nucleotide bases (the subunits that DNA is composed of), and "primers," short sequences of nucleotides designed to bind with an end of the desired DNA segment. Two primers are used: one primer binds at one end of the desired segment on one of the two paired DNA strands, and the other primer binds at the other end but on the other strand. The solution is heated to break the bonds between the strands of the DNA. When the solution cools, the primers bind to the separated strands, and DNA polymerase quickly builds a new strand by joining the free nucleotide bases to the primers. When this process is repeated, a strand that was formed with one primer binds to the other primer, resulting in a new strand that is restricted solely to the desired segment. Thus the region of DNA between the primers is selectively replicated. Further repetitions of the process can produce billions of copies of a small piece of DNA in several hours. Development and Applications PCR was developed in 1985 by Kary B. Mullis, who was awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work. It is used in DNA fingerprintingDNA fingerprinting or DNA profiling, any of several similar techniques for analyzing and comparing DNA from separate sources, used especially in law enforcement to identify suspects from hair, blood, semen, or other biological materials found at the scene of a violent ..... Click the link for more information. and in medical tests to identify diseases from the infectious agent's DNA. In forensic use, the test can be used to compare two samples of DNA, usually by looking at matches (or mismatches) of six inherited traits (e.g., hair curliness) from each of the samples. Each trait is controlled by a single gene, each gene having at least two forms, or alleles, resulting in 21 combinations of these alleles, some of them very rare. A nonmatch conclusively excludes a suspect. PCR also is used in taxonomic classificationclassification, in biology, the systematic categorization of organisms into a coherent scheme. The original purpose of biological classification, or systematics, was to organize the vast number of known plants and animals into categories that could be named, remembered, and ..... Click the link for more information. to help show evolutionary relationships between organisms on the molecular level. It has the advantage of being able to be used even when only very small samples, such as tiny pieces of preserved tissue from extinct animals, are available. polymerase chain reaction [pə¦lim·ə‚rās ′chān rē‚ak·shən] (cell and molecular biology) A technique for copying and amplifying the complementary strands of a target deoxyribonucleic acid molecule. Abbreviated PCR. polymerase chain reaction polymerase [pah-lim´er-ās] an enzyme that catalyzes polymerization.polymerase chain reaction a rapid technique for in vitro amplification of specific DNA or RNA sequences, allowing small quantities of short sequences to be analyzed without cloning. pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion (PCR), an enzymatic method for the repeated copying of the two strands of DNA of a particular gene sequence. It is widely used to amplify minute quantities of biologic material so as to provide adequate specimens for laboratory study. The replication of DNA in the living cell is facilitated by polymerases. The two DNA chains of the double helix first unzip from one another, and DNA polymerase then generates a copy of each strand by adding free nucleotides to form a sequence of base pairs complementary with the sequence in the strand. The laboratory technique known as PCR, for which the American biochemist Kary Mullis won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993, exploits the capacity of DNA polymerase to assemble new DNA. Taq polymerase, named for its source, Thermus aquaticus, a thermophilic bacterium, is added to a mixture of free nucleotides and primers. (Primers are specially prepared units containing both RNA and DNA with a free terminus where the polymerase will react.) The short sequence of DNA to be amplified is flanked by two primers. After the reaction begins, the polymerase generates numerous copies of the target sequence. The sequential phases of the reaction are initiated simply by making a series of strategic changes in the temperature of the system. Millions of copies of the target sequence can be generated by cyclically repeating these temperature changes as many as 30 times, each DNA strand produced by 1 cycle giving rise to many more in the next. Coupled with appropriate detection methods, the technique can confirm the presence of any gene or short DNA sequence, even when only a few copies of the target molecule are present in the specimen. PCR technology is both highly sensitive and highly specific, and does not require prior purification of the specimen. It is used in the diagnosis of infectious diseases through identification of microbial pathogens in clinical material, including organisms that are difficult or impossible to culture either by their nature or because of prior treatment with antimicrobial agents. PCR also has application to genetic testing, including surveillance for heritable defects in parents or fetus; to oncology, for detection of mutations in tumor suppressor genes in neoplasms and, in particular, in microscopically benign tumor margins; and to forensic medicine, for DNA fingerprinting and determination of paternity. polymerase chain reaction n. Abbr. PCR A technique for amplifying DNA sequences in vitro by separating the DNA into two strands and incubating it with oligonucleotide primers and DNA polymerase. It can amplify a specific sequence of DNA as many as one billion times and is important in biotechnology, forensics, medicine, and genetic research. polymerase chain reaction Molecular biology A molecular technique that uses DNA polymerases from high-temperature bacteria–known as extremophiles to rapidly amplify–ie, ↑ the number of copies of–a sequence of DNA in a sample; starting from minimal amounts–<< 1 µg–as little as one copy of a sequence of DNA, PCR exponentially amplifies a target DNA sequence, which has been inserted between 2 oligonucleotide primers through multiple amplification cycles Application Prenatal Dx of hereditary disease–sickle cell anemia, PKU, cystic fibrosis; ID gene rearrangements in lymphoproliferative disorders, determine fetal sex, Lyme disease, TB, Chlamydia trachomatis, ID viruses–HIV, CMV, HPV, HBV, delineate viral link to cancer–HTLV-1, HPV, bacteria, parasites, pathogenic mechanisms–DM, pemphigus vulgaris, myasthenia gravis, oncogene-induced cancer Sensitivity In detecting leukemia in BM–Bx has a 65-75% sensitivity, Southern blot analysis of gene rearrangement, 98-99% sensitivity, PCR, 99.999%. See Allele-specific PCR, AP-PCR, DNA amplification, Fluorophore-enhanced repetitive sequence-based-PCR, Inverse PCR, Jumping PCR, Multiplex PCR, Nested PCR, Reverse-transcriptase PCR, Semi-nested PCR, Touchdown PCR. Cf Ligase chain reaction. pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion (PCR) (pŏ-lim'ĕr-ās chān rē-ăk'shŭn) An enzymatic method for the repeated copying and amplification of the two strands of DNA of a particular gene sequence. polymerase chain reaction An important technique for rapidly producing large numbers of copies of any required sequence of DNA. DNA is separated by heat into its two strands, small molecules called primers are attached to the sequences at either end of the target sequence, and an enzyme, DNA polymerase, is used to build a new strand of the section between the primers. This becomes a template for the production of further strands and in twenty cycles a million copies are made. The polymerase chain reaction is one of the most powerful techniques currently in use in biological science. The American biochemist inventor of the process, Karry B. Mullis, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1993. Fig. 256 Polymerase chain reaction . The basic reaction. polymerase chain reaction (PCR) a method for amplifying specific DNA sequences in vitro. The technique exploits some of the features of DNA REPLICATION and permits millions or billions of copies of a DNA sequence to be produced within few hours. In order to carry out the basic PCR reaction (see Fig. 256 ), two PRIMERS that flank the DNA region to be amplified (the target) and that hybridize (see MOLECULAR HYBRIDIZATION) to the opposite strands of the double-stranded DNA, are needed. The double-stranded target DNA is heat-denatured (see DENATURATION).to separate the two strands and, on cooling, a primer is annealed to the complementary sequence in each of the strands. The primers are extended using DNA POLYMERASE, which copies each of the TEMPLATE strands. (A heat-stable DNA polymerase, which will not be impaired by heat during later steps in the reaction, and which therefore allows the process to be automated without the need to add enzyme at each cycle, is preferred. For this reason, a thermo-stable enzyme, such as Taq polymerase obtained from a THERMOPHILIC BACTERIUM, is commonly used.) This produces two double-stranded DNA molecules, which, following their heat-denaturation, can serve as templates for another cycle of amplification. Primers are again annealed and extended by DNA synthesis. In this way, a doubling of the amount of DNA previously present occurs. The termini of the amplified sequence are defined by the primers. A series of cycles involving heat-denaturation, primer annealing and DNA synthesis by primer extension results in the amplification of the target DNA at approximately 2n, where n is the number of cycles. Thus the ‘chain reaction’, once set up, results in the exponential amplification of the starting DNA. Taq polymerase does not have an EDITING function and so errors (in the form of incorrect BASES) may be introduced during DNA synthesis. To reduce the frequency of such errors, the PCR may be started with a large number of DNA template molecules, if available, so that fewer cycles are needed to amplify the DNA. Alternatively, other enzymes, with increased fidelity (which are gradually becoming available) may be used. The PCR is useful for amplifying DNA initially present in very low amounts, so that sufficient is available for subsequent analysis. The applications of the PCR are potentially enormous. It has been used to amplify DNA in, for example, DNA FINGERPRINTING; the analysis of ancient DNA from fossils; mapping of the human GENOME; the detection of microorganisms present in low numbers in food and water samples; and so on. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) A test performed to evaluate false-negative results to the ELISA and Western blot tests. In PCR testing, numerous copies of a gene are made by separating the two strands of DNA containing the gene segment, marking its location, using DNA polymerase to make a copy, and then continuously replicating the copies. The amplification of gene sequences that are associated with HIV allows for detection of the virus by this method.Mentioned in: AIDS Tests pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion (PCR) (pŏ-lim'ĕr-ās chān rē-ăk'shŭn) An enzymatic method for the repeated copying and amplification of the two strands of DNA of a particular gene sequence. FinancialSeeReactionAcronymsSeePNRThesaurusSeepolymerase
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polymerase chain reaction

polymerase chain reaction

pol′ymerase chain′ reac`tion

polymerase chain reaction

polymerase chain reaction

The Process

Development and Applications

polymerase chain reaction

polymerase chain reaction

polymerase

pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion (PCR),

polymerase chain reaction

polymerase chain reaction

pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion

polymerase chain reaction

polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

pol·ym·er·ase chain re·ac·tion