Design and use of scorpions fluorescent signaling molecules

A number of probe systems exist for the real-time detection of PCR products. Scorpions are a unique method wherein primer and probe are combined in a single oligonucleotide. During the PCR, the probe element becomes linked directly to its complementary target site with beneficial consequences. In particular, the unimolecular mechanism of probe/target hybridization ensures rapid, reliable, and robust probing of a chosen amplicon. We discuss the design and use of Scorpions and compare their use with similar systems.