Disclosed herein are compositions comprising an
oligonucleotide cathodic probe for purifying a cyclic
nucleic acid wherein the cyclic
nucleic acid is produced by self-splicing of a precursor
nucleic acid comprising an
oligonucleotide cathodic tag wherein the cathodic tag is at least 90% complementary to the cathodic probe, wherein the negative tag is removed during the self-splicing of the precursor nucleic acid, preferably the negative tag is complementary to the negative probe by at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99%, further preferably 100%. The invention also relates to a related purification method using the
negative selection probe composition. The precursor nucleic acid at least comprises a 3'
intron fragment, a target sequence, a translation enlightenment sequence and a 5 '
intron fragment. Also disclosed herein are compositions for purifying a cyclic nucleic acid comprising an
oligonucleotide positive selection probe, where the cyclic nucleic acid is produced by self-splicing of a precursor nucleic acid, where the
positive selection probe is complementary to at least 60% of at least a portion of the cyclic nucleic acid produced by self-splicing of the precursor nucleic acid, and where the
positive selection probe is not complementary to at least 60% of at least a portion of the cyclic nucleic acid produced by self-splicing of the precursor nucleic acid. At least a portion of the cyclic nucleic acid spans a splicing portion of the cyclic nucleic acid, the precursor nucleic acid does not have a sequence at least 60% complementary to the positive selection probe, and the precursor nucleic acid at least comprises a 3'
intron fragment, a target sequence, a translation enlightenment sequence and a 5 'intron fragment.