BHQplus™ Probes from LGC Biosearch Technologies are short dual-labeled hydrolysis probes available for qPCR and SNP genotyping. This probe type features a 3' Black Hole Quencher™ (BHQ) and 5' fluorescent dye with the special BHQplus duplex stabilizing chemistry to improve specificity and improve mismatch discrimination. BHQplus Probes use altered C and T nucleotides to steady the probe-target duplex, which allows the design of shorter probes, typically 15 to 25 bases.
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| Image credit: LGC Biosearch Technologies |
Key advantages of BHQplus Probes:
- Short probes with high specificity: Duplex stabilizers allow the design of shorter dual-labeled probes with high stability and specificity at the time of hybridization.
- Improved assay sensitivity: The top-rated BHQ is placed closer to the dye, increasing quenching efficiency.
- Ideal for challenging targets: High duplex stability enhances SNP or mismatch discrimination and binding to complex regions such as AT-rich targets.
- Versatile: Probes can be paired with an extensive range of dyes to suit the exact instrument and application.
Greater duplex stability for enhanced specificity and sensitivity
BHQplus Probes form more stable probe-target duplexes, enabling shorter oligonucleotide designs. Shorter oligos offer high specificity and better detection of difficult targets, such as AT-rich sequences. A shorter BHQplus probe will generate lower background and exhibit a higher signal-to-noise ratio, enhancing the sensitivity of your assay.
This melting temperature graph shows an example of a BHQplus Probe denaturing at a temperature >10 ºC higher than the denaturation of a regular probe, indicating the increased stability of the BHQplus-target duplex. Image credit: LGC Biosearch Technologies
BHQplus ValuMix assays for qPCR gene expression offer the convenience of receiving a customized, dual-labeled BHQplus probe and primer pair in a single tube. The proportions are precisely delivered according to the user's desired probe-to-primer ratio, ranging from 1:1 to 1:4.5, in any one of our standard diluents (water, TrisHCI, T10E0.1 or T10E1).
BHQplus ValuMix assays for SNP genotyping include a single tube containing two disctinct BHQplus probes and a primer pair, with precise amounts for optimal performance. These assays are available as a 40x assay mix upon request.
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