Biology Forum › Molecular Biology › PCR question
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- December 23, 2008 at 1:50 am #10645
thewaxParticipantWhy is there a need for PCR when there is helicase-dependent amplification??????
In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicase-d … lification, wikipedia states that HDA takes longer than PCR. My question is [i]WHY[/i]?????? [Even though the helicase might unwound it slowly (as evident in DNA replication) it’s not as if the DNA polymerase can elongate the growing DNA strand any faster (again refer to DNA replication), right?????] - December 24, 2008 at 7:52 pm #88052thewaxParticipant
Can anyone help with this question????????
- December 25, 2008 at 11:18 am #88066blcr11Participant
That wiki article was probably posted by someone from the kit manufacturer. You probably should consider it a bit of advertising. I don’t know anyone using this alternative to pcr. The only "advantage" I can see is the ability to run everything at one temperature, and I don’t see that as a great plus. If the method was obviously superior to pcr it would be widely used already. I suspect it does not work as well as advertised.
- December 25, 2008 at 11:37 pm #88082thewaxParticipant
Thanks!!!!!! 🙂
But why wouldn’t it????
I mean, compare the helicase and DNA polymerase to those used in DNA replication (they are the same, and in DNA replication, they move really fast), right????????? - December 26, 2008 at 7:36 pm #88092mithParticipant
http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v5/ … 00200.html
lacks refinement, doesn’t work on long seqs, but it’s interesting enough to be in nature
- December 27, 2008 at 5:08 pm #88108thewaxParticipant
hmm… so HDA is pretty efficient….., right?????
- January 9, 2009 at 4:46 pm #88349SepalsParticipant
The article lies. PCR does denature DNA, at around 95C. So therefore it must become unwound for the two strands to separate. Never use wikipedia as an academic resource, it’s too untrustworthy and contrary to what some people say, it is not fully protected. I know from experience, it can be very hard to keep correct info on a page and permanently rid it of nonsense, as someone can easily vandalise it again.
- January 9, 2009 at 4:49 pm #88350SepalsParticipantquote thewax:Thanks!!!!!! 🙂
But why wouldn’t it????
I mean, compare the helicase and DNA polymerase to those used in DNA replication (they are the same, and in DNA replication, they move really fast), right?????????PCR is around 4 hours max if you use the maximum number of cycles (40) and normally 3 hours long. Surely 3 – 4 hours isn’t too long to wait. Inbetween you can get on with other lab work.
- January 10, 2009 at 10:48 pm #88385thewaxParticipant
cool!
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