Computer prediction of general PCR products based on dynamical solution structures of DNA

A computer program which can predict general PCR products was developed and experimentally verified to be useful. This means that the approximation of solution structures of DNA based solely on Watson-Crick base pairing is effective. Intramolecular higher structures were shown to be responsible for the discrepancies between the predictions and the experimental results. This study provides a theoretical background to arbitrarily primed (or random) PCR. Other basic issues relating to general PCR are also discussed.