Table 1

Description of the Beacon designer sequences used to quantify gene expression and real-time reaction efficiencies of PCR assays

Gene
Accession number
Sequences
Product size (base pairs)
Efficiency

iNOS
U14640
Probe: 5'-FAM-CGCGATCCCTGCTTGGTGGCGAAGATGAGCGATCGCG-DABCYL-3' Forward: 5'-GTAACAAAGGAGATAGAAACAACAGG-3' Reverse: 5'-CAGCTCCGGGCGTCAAAG-3'
81
1.98 ± 0.06
COX-2
AF031698
Probe: 5'-FAM-CGCGATCGTCAGAAATTCGGGTGTGGTACAGTTGATCGCG-DABCYL-3' Forward: 5'-CGAGGTGTATGTATGAGTGTAGG-3' Reverse: 5'-GTTGGGAGTGGGTTTCAGG-3'
82
1.99 ± 0.03
Aggrecan
U76615
Probe: 5'-FAM-CGCGATCCACTCAGCGAGTTGTCAGGTTCTGAGATCGCG-DABCYL-3' Forward: 5'-TGGTGTTTGTGACTCTGAGG-3' Reverse: 5'-GATGAAGTAGCAGGGGATGG-3'
79
1.97 ± 0.05
Collagen type II
X02420
Probe: 5'-FAM-CGCGATGCGTCAGGTCAGGTCAGCCATATCGCG-DABCYL-3' Forward: 5'-AAACCCGAACCCAGAACC-3' Reverse: 5'-AAGTCCGAACTGTGAGAGG-3'
70
2.00 ± 0.05
GAPDH
U85042
Probe: 5'-HEX-CGCGATCCACCATCTTCCAGGAGCGAGATCCGATCGCG-DABCYL-3' Forward: 5'-TTCAACGGCACAGTCAAGG-3' Reverse: 5'-TTCAACGGCACAGTCAAGG-3'
75
2.03 ± 0.01

The Beacon Designer software was used to design forward and reverse primer and probe sequences for molecular beacon applications and were synthesized by Sigma Genosys Ltd, Cambridge, UK. Secondary structures were avoided using the Mfold programme and sequences were analyzed using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool to verify specificity. Probes contain fluorescein (FAM) or 6-carboxyhexafluorescein (HEX) as a 5'-reporter dye and 4-(4'-dimethylaminophenylazo)benzoic acid (DABCYL) as 3'-quencher. Note that the arm sequences are underlined. COX, cyclo-oxygenase; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; iNOS, inducible nitric oxide synthase.

Chowdhury et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008 10:R35   doi:10.1186/ar2389