Parallel DNA polymerase chain reaction: Synthesis of two different PCR products from a DNA template

Abstract

Conventionally, in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), oligonucleotide primers bind to the template DNA in an antiparallel complementary way and the template DNA is amplified as it is. Here we describe an approach in which the first primer binds in a parallel complementary orientation to the single-stranded DNA, leading to synthesis in a parallel direction. Further reactions happened in a conventional way leading to the synthesis of PCR product having polarity opposite to the template used. This is the first study showing that synthesis of DNA can happen also in a parallel direction. We report that from a single-stranded DNA template, two different but related PCR products can be synthesized.