PATTERNED STAINING BY FLUORESCEIN-LABELED OLIGONUCLEOTIDES OBTAINED BY IN-VITRO SELECTION

We describe a new means of surface staining using a fluorescent oligon ucleotide. A folic add-specific, fluorescent-labeled oligonucleotide w as selected from a group of randomly sequenced oligonucleotides by rep eated elution through a folic acid-immobilized column and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. We then examined the oligonucleotide s cattered on a polyester film with folic acid immobilized in a defined pattern, by means of laser fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that the selected oligonucleotide fluoresced exactly following the pa ttern of immobilized folic acid.