miRCURY LNA miRNA Detection Probe (1)

QIAGEN's miRCURY LNA miRNA Detection Probe is an LNA-enhanced detection reagent designed for ultra-sensitive and specific in situ hybridization (ISH) of miRNAs. The probes are designed with optimal LNA positioning to deliver high sequence specificity, low secondary structure, and minimal self-annealing, yielding superior binding affinity that enables specific and sensitive miRNA detection with an exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratio.

Ordinary miRNA probes struggle with two issues: binding affinity that varies with GC content across miRNA sequences, and high homology between precursor and mature forms as well as between isomers that differ at the cleavage site by one or two bases. QIAGEN's patented LNA technology addresses these by introducing LNA modifications at selected bases without altering the miRNA sequence itself, normalizing Tm values while preserving single-base discrimination specificity and sensitivity. Compared with conventional DNA probes, LNA probe sensitivity is approximately 10 times higher.

The probes can detect all known mRNA, lncRNA, microRNA, and custom sequences, and Tm-normalized design enables ISH multiplexing and automation. They are available unlabeled, pre-labeled, or with custom labeling, and are compatible with both radioactive and non-radioactive detection methods. Common labels include digoxigenin, biotin, amino, and fluorescent dyes such as FAM (495/520 nm, green), TYE563 (549/563 nm, yellow, equivalent to Cy3), and TYE665 (645/665 nm, red, equivalent to Cy5), in single-end or dual-end configurations, with dual-end labeling providing stronger signal amplification. Workflow optimization is supported by negative control probes to subtract background and positive control probes such as U6, a gene stably and highly expressed across tissues and cell types.