The polymerase chain reaction: a tool for molecular medicine.
The polymerase chain reaction: a tool for molecular medicine.
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DOI：
10.1136/bmj.306.6875.441
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发表时间：
1993-02
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
A. Markham
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Markham
随着新技术的发展，聚合酶链式反应无疑是独一无二的，因为它被包括医学在内的大多数生物科学专业的非专家所接受的速度。这样做的原因是该程序异常简单。就推动生物研究的力量而言，聚合酶链式反应的出现当然可以与大约20年前分子克隆技术的发现相提并论。然而，尽管通常需要多年的培训和实践才能掌握重组DNA技术的许多复杂技能，但完全的初学者可以开始进行聚合酶链式反应实验，并在最多几天内产生有意义的结果-因此活动激增。这项技术于1985年首次以最初的形式被描述2，在接下来的三年里，对其潜力的欣赏逐渐广泛。大约在1988年，这种潜力得到了充分的发挥。这与聚合酶链式反应的两个关键成分的商业化开发不谋而合：可以在相当高的温度(沸水)下加热而不失去活性的DNA聚合酶，以及以循环方式快速加热和重复冷却样本的坚固机器。3合成作为反应中所需的引子的寡核苷酸已经成为一个常见的程序。在过去的四年里，该反应可能已经成为生物科学所有分支中应用最广泛的单一技术。
The polymerase chain reaction has been unquestionably unique, as new techniques go, in the speed with which it has been embraced by non-experts in most specialties of the biological sciences, including medicine. The reason for this is the unusual simplicity of the procedure. In terms of its power to drive biological research, the advent of the polymerase chain reaction can certainly be compared with the discovery of the techniques of molecular cloning some 20 years ago. However, whereas years of training and practice were usually needed to master the many and complex skills of recombinant DNA technology, the complete beginner can start to perform polymerase chain reaction experiments and generate meaningful results within a few days at most-hence the explosion of activity.'-Ic The technique was first described in its initial format in 1985,2 and over the next three years appreciation of its potential gradually became widespread. This potential was fully realised in about 1988. It coincided with the commercial development of two key components for the polymerase chain reaction: a DNA polymerase that could be heated at quite high temperatures (boiling water) without losing its activity, and robust machines that would quickly heat and cool samples repeatedly in a cyclic fashion.3 Synthesis of the oligonucleotides required as primers in the reaction had already become a commonplace procedure. In the past four years the reaction has become probably the most widely used single technique in all branches of the biological sciences.