Enhanced Specificity of Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction via CdTe Quantum Dots

Nanoparticles were recently reported to be able to improve both efficiency and specificity in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Here, CdTe QDs were introduced into multi-PCR systems. It was found that an appropriate concentration of CdTe QDs could enhance the performance of multi-PCR by reducing the formation of nonspecific products in the complex system, but an excessive amount of CdTe QDs could suppress the PCR. The effects of QDs on PCR can be reversed by increasing the polymerase concentration or by adding bovine serum albumin (BSA). The mechanisms underlying these effects were also discussed. The results indicated that CdTe QDs could be used to optimize the amplification products of the PCR, especially in the multi-PCR system with different primers annealing temperatures, which is of great significance for molecular diagnosis.