US Patent 10036077 Covered sequence conversion DNA and detection methods

Disclosed are methods for detecting a target nucleic acid in sample, which include contacting the sample with an oligonucleotide having a hairpin structure, where the oligonucleotide includes, in the 5′ to 3′ direction, an arbitrary sequence, an endonuclease recognition site for a nicking reaction, a sequence complementary to the arbitrary sequence, and a sequence complementary to the target nucleic acid; a polymerase; and an endonuclease capable of nicking the endonuclease recognition site. The disclosure also provides compositions and kits comprising an oligonucleotide having a hairpin structure, where the oligonucleotide includes, in the 5′ to 3′ direction an arbitrary sequence, an endonuclease recognition site for a nicking reaction, a sequence complementary to the arbitrary sequence, and a sequence complementary to a target nucleic acid.