Site-specific incorporation of multiple units of functional nucleotides into DNA using a step-wise approach with polymerase and its application to monitoring DNA structural changes.

We have developed a new method, a step-wise approach with polymerase, for site-specific incorporation of multiple units of functional nucleotides into DNA to form hairpin secondary structures. The fluorescence of the resulting DNA incorporating the functional nucleotides varied upon transitioning from single-strand to hairpin and duplex structures.