Nucleic acid-induced aggregation of metallic nanoparticles and its uses in nuclear acid detection processes

Abstract

The invention relates to an aggregate comprising metallic nanoparticles and nucleic acid molecules in which each metallic nanoparticle is coated with a polycation.The invention also relates to a method for obtaining the aggregate of the invention and the use of said aggregate in methods for detecting the presence of a nucleic acid in a sample, in methods for detecting the presence of a given nucleotide at a predetermined position in a target nucleic acid, in methods for detecting the presence of a modified nucleotide at a predetermined position in a target nucleic acid, methods for detecting the presence of a conjugate between a double-stranded nucleic acid and a chemical in a sample comprising a double-stranded nucleic acid molecule, in methods for determining the content of modified nucleotides in a target nucleic acid and in a method for determining the content of modified nucleotides in a target nucleic acid.