The thermal stability of oligonucleotide duplexes is sequence independent in tetraalkylammonium salt solutions: application to identifying recombinant DNA clones.

In solutions of tetraalkylammonium salts the melting temperature of oligonucleotide duplexes is independent of nucleotide sequence and thus GC content. Data quantitating the destabilizing effects of various mismatches in these solvents are also presented. The results are in accord with theories on DNA melting and establish conditions under which oligonucleotides can be used as hybridization probes with predictable and controllable specificity.