High-sensitivity methods for accurate parallel quantification of nucleic acids

Abstract

To provide a method for accurate and massively parallel amplification and quantification of one or more nucleic acid targets, for example in extracted DNA, in large volumes and / or unpurified sample material.SOLUTION: The present disclosure includes two target-specific nucleic acid probes per genetic target, a loop oligo and a bridge oligo or bridge oligo complex.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to improved next-generation DNA sequencing methods for accurate and massively parallel amplification and detection and quantification of one or more nucleic acid targets. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods using probes to detect and quantitate genetic targets in complex DNA pools, primarily used for detecting genetic targets and mutations. The present disclosure uses one or more target-specific nucleic acid probes, loop oligos, and one or more bridge oligos per genetic target. [Background technology]

[0002] Advances in genetic variation research technology have made the detection of genetic variations in plants and animals less tedious.However, despite the decline in sequencing costs, the detection and accurate quantification of genetic variations, such as mutations, especially in samples with weak signals, is currently still tedious, laborious, and expensive.A variety of issues can be more accurately expressed, such as the specificity for detecting genetic signals against a consensus background, the sensitivity for detecting weak genetic signals, the accuracy for accurately quantifying detected signals, the throughput number of targeted gene targets per assay, the cost per assay, scaling to determine the assay cost scale when assaying a large number of samples in parallel, and turnover to determine the time from sampling to results.

[0003] Currently, typical quantification methods for liquid biopsies and conceptually similar assays (such as antibiotic resistance gene detection) include quantitative PCR (qPCR), array qPCR, digital PCR, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), or quantification from next-generation DNA sequencing data. While quantification methods are robust and well-established, each method is associated with specific issues, which are discussed in more detail below:

[0004] Quantitative PCR: Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a technique that involves the amplification of target DNA molecules during PCR, i.e., in real time. Real-time PCR can be used quantitatively (quantitative real-time PCR) and semi-quantitatively, i.e., above or below a certain amount of DNA molecules (semi-quantitative real-time PCR). Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is the gold standard for gene target quantification. Currently, the laboratory cost of a qPCR reaction is approximately $2. However, when considering the substantial hands-on time (labor costs) to set up the reaction, the need for standard curves, and replicates for each quantification target, the actual cost is in fact much higher. Because a separate quantification experiment is required for each gene target, the total hands-on time scales rapidly with increasing sample numbers.

[0005] Array PCR: PCR arrays are the most reliable tool for analyzing the expression of panels of genes focused on relevant pathways or diseases. Each 96-well plate, 384-well plate, or 100-well disk PCR array contains SYBR Green-optimized primer assays for a thoroughly researched panel of focused genes. A newer iteration of qPCR technology is array qPCR, which miniaturizes individual qPCR reactions. Array PCR lowers the cost of individual qPCR reactions and improves the scalability of the method to large numbers of targets and samples. However, this method is currently limited to profiling 384 targets from 12 samples (or conversely, 12 targets from 384 samples), costing thousands of dollars per chip plus the significant capital costs of readout infrastructure. Therefore, profiling thousands of samples using the aforementioned configuration remains prohibitively expensive.

[0006] Digital PCR: Digital polymerase chain reaction (Digital PCR, Digital PCR, dPCR, or dePCR) is a method that provides absolute target quantification through droplet-microfluidic and fluorescent detection. This methodology is relatively cost-effective (the cost of one target per sample is approximately $3), but the hands-on time required to prepare, set up, and run individual experiments for each target in each sample is insufficient for scaling to thousands of samples.

[0007] Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) offers an approach to simplify the detection of multiple gene targets in individual samples. However, MLPA only provides relative quantification of targets and requires separate detection experiments for each sample. More recently, variants of MLPA have adopted concepts from DNA barcoding. This concept allows for better quantitative resolution and sample multiplexing than traditional MLPA workflows.

[0008] Next-generation sequencing-based approaches: Next-generation sequencing (NGS), also known as high-throughput sequencing, offers a "digital" alternative to analog techniques for sequence-based gene expression analysis. Target counting from next-generation DNA sequencing data is becoming increasingly attractive as the cost of DNA sequencing continues to decrease and is currently used, for example, in non-invasive prenatal testing. However, current approaches suffer from high sequencing library preparation costs and sequencing labor, which is wasted on sequencing irrelevant gene targets. For example, in cancer-associated liquid biopsies, untargeted approaches result in wasted sequencing efforts on loci that are not oncologically relevant. In fetal diagnostics, untargeted sampling of loci significantly limits statistical options for interpreting the data. Guardant Health Inc. offers a more targeted sequencing approach in which arrays of RNA capture probes enrich targets for next-generation DNA sequencing.

[0009] Akhras et al. (2007) PLoS ONE 2(2):e223 discloses a multiplex pathogen detection assay that includes barcoded target-specific probes, target circularization, and sequencing. The use of bridging oligonucleotides to ligate the target-specific probes is also disclosed. WO 2018 / 109206 describes a method for detecting an analyte in a sample using padlock probes and rolling circle amplification, but does not describe the use of bridging oligos. WO 2019 / 038372 describes a next-generation sequencing approach in which target sequences of interest are selectively amplified by in vitro transcription from ligation complexes containing a promoter for T7 polymerase, followed by cDNA synthesis and sequencing. The method described in EP 4060049 A1 utilizes rolling circle amplification from target-specific ligation complexes.

[0010] While these methods allow for accurate and parallel detection and quantification of many target sequences in a sample, more complex, large volume, diluted, and / or impure samples remain challenging.

[0011] Therefore, in light of the foregoing discussion, there is a need to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings, including but not limited to specificity, sensitivity, precision, throughput, cost, validation, and turnover through accurate and massively parallel quantification of nucleic acid targets. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 109206 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2019 / 038372 [Patent Document 3] European Patent Application Publication No. 4060049A1 [Non-patent literature]

[0013] [Non-Patent Document 1] Akhras et al. (2007) PLoS ONE 2(2):e223 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] The present invention provides methods for amplifying specific targeted genomic material and, optionally, using it in next-generation sequencing for sensitive, scalable, and accurate target quantification. The methods of the present invention involve the use of specific oligonucleotide probe complexes used for molecular targeting with separate loop oligonucleotides for amplification, where the probe complexes optionally contain a sample index and / or unique molecular identifier (UMI). The resulting methods utilize circular sequencing templates, including, but not limited to, Element Biosciences Aviti or Complete Genomics G99, to enable the generation and amplification of circular molecular templates compatible with specific next-generation DNA sequencing platforms. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In a first main aspect, the present invention provides a method for high-throughput amplification and optional subsequent detection of one or more target nucleotide sequences in a plurality of samples, comprising: The method comprises: (i) for each target nucleotide sequence in each of said samples, providing a first probe, a second probe, at least one loop oligo, and a bridge oligo or a plurality of bridge oligonucleotides capable of annealing to said loop oligo to form a bridge oligo complex; the first probe comprises a first bridging oligo-specific sequence at a 5' end of the first probe, optionally a first sequence barcode, and a first target-specific portion at a 3' end of the first probe; the second probe comprises a second target-specific portion at a 5' end of the second probe, optionally a second sequence barcode, and a second bridging oligo-specific sequence at a 3' end of the second probe; the loop oligo comprises, starting from the 5' end of the molecule, a third bridge oligo-specific sequence, a loop sequence, and a fourth bridge oligo-specific sequence, the loop sequence optionally comprising a third sequence barcode, the loop sequence containing two sequences that can anneal to each other to form a double-stranded portion, the double-stranded portion comprising a recognition site for a nicking endonuclease; the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotides comprise sequences complementary to the first and second bridge oligo-specific sequences in the first and second probes, respectively, and sequences complementary to the third and fourth bridge oligo-specific sequences in the loop oligo, and the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotides optionally comprise a fourth sequence barcode; at least one of a first sequence barcode, a second sequence barcode, a third sequence barcode, or a fourth sequence barcode is present; (ii) contacting, for each of said one or more target nucleotide sequences, said first probe and said second probe, preferably for each of said samples in separate tubes, with said bridge oligo or plurality of bridge oligonucleotides and optionally said loop oligo, and allowing self-annealing to a probe complex, wherein when said loop oligo is added, optionally further oligonucleotides complementary to said bridge oligo or said plurality of bridge oligonucleotides are included to fill single-stranded gaps, if present between said loop oligo and said first probe and / or between said loop oligo and said second probe; (iia) if said loop oligo was added in step (ii), optionally performing polymerase extension to fill in single-stranded gaps in said annealed probe complex, if present; (iib) optionally ligating the double-stranded portion of the probe complex if the loop oligo was added in step (ii); wherein step (iib) may be carried out simultaneously with step (iia); (iii) if the loop oligo was not added in step (ii), contacting nucleic acid present in each of the samples to be tested for the target nucleotide sequence with the probe complex and the loop oligo; (iv) hybridizing the first target-specific portion and the second target-specific portion of each of the first and second probes to essentially adjacent portions on the target sequence, and, if the loop oligo was added in step (iii), hybridizing the loop oligo to the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotides, thereby forming a hybridization complex; (v) optionally pooling the hybridization complexes from the plurality of samples; (vi) ligating the probes in the hybridization complex to provide a ligated ligation complex; (vii) amplifying nucleic acid from one or more of the ligated ligation complexes using rolling circle amplification with a strand-displacing polymerase to allow annealing of two sequences in the loop sequence that are capable of annealing to each other, thereby obtaining a concatemeric molecule comprising a loop structure having a single-stranded portion and a double-stranded portion comprising the recognition site for a nicking endonuclease; (viii) nicking the double-stranded portion with a nicking endonuclease having specificity for the recognition site; (ix) performing a denaturation step such that the nicked concatemeric molecules are broken down into separate segments with complementary ends; (x) allowing intramolecular annealing of the complementary ends of the segments and intramolecularly ligating the separate segments, thereby obtaining a circular molecule; Optionally, the following additional steps are performed: (xi) subjecting the circular molecules obtained in step (x) to a high-throughput sequencing technique to determine the barcode sequence; and (xii) identifying the presence and / or number of the target nucleotide sequences in the plurality of samples by determining at least a portion of the first target-specific portion and / or the second target-specific portion, and / or at least a portion of the first barcode and / or the second barcode, and / or at least a portion of the third barcode and / or at least a portion of the fourth barcode; Steps (v) and (vi) may be performed in any order; Regarding the method. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a multiplex ligation assay (MLA) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2C] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2D] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2E] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2F] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2G] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2H] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2I] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the principle combination of probes according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 shows the effect of nicking and denaturation on long concatemeric DNA molecules. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows circularization on monomeric DNA molecules as measured by PCR amplification through religated loops. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (definition) Target nucleotide sequence: The term target nucleotide sequence may be any nucleotide sequence of interest whose detection is desired. It may be understood that the given term refers to a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence of contiguous nucleotides and a complementary sequence. In some embodiments, the target sequence is a nucleotide sequence that represents or is associated with a polymorphism.

[0018] Polymorphism: The term polymorphism refers to the occurrence of two or more genetically determined alternative sequences or alleles in a population. A polymorphic marker or site is the locus at which sequence variance occurs. A polymorphic locus can be as small as one base pair.

[0019] Sample: The term sample is used herein to refer to two or more samples containing two or more target sequences. The samples provided in the methods of the present invention may be prepared to extract at least the target nucleic acids and make them accessible to the probes used in the present invention. In particular, in some embodiments, the samples each contain at least two different target sequences, preferably at least 100, more preferably at least 250, more preferably at least 500, and most preferably at least 2000 or more different target sequences. The term sample may refer to, but is not limited to, two or more samples obtained from the human / animal body, including urine, biopsies, saliva, and other secretions, breath extracts, tissues, plasma (liquid biopsies), or two or more samples obtained from the environment, including water, wastewater, soil, plants, or two or more samples containing viruses or bacteria, etc. In one embodiment, the multiple samples include a blood sample, a saliva sample, a urine sample, or a fecal sample, a sample of another bodily fluid, or an extract from bodily material, such as hair or skin flakes.

[0020] Probe: The term probe refers to a fragment of DNA or RNA of variable length (usually 50-1000 bases, preferably 50-200 bases) that can be used in a DNA or RNA sample to detect the presence of a nucleotide sequence (DNA or RNA target) complementary to the sequence in the probe. The section of the oligonucleotide probe complementary to the target sequence is designed so that for each target sequence in the sample, a pair of first and second probes is provided, whereby each probe contains a portion at its extreme end that is complementary to a portion of the target sequence. The present disclosure also describes bridge oligos or bridge oligo complexes used to join the first and second probes. The present disclosure also describes loop oligos, which contain a loop portion flanked by two portions that can hybridize with one or more bridge oligos. The loop portion does not hybridize with one or more bridge oligos and optionally contains a barcode.

[0021] Universal: When used to describe an amplification procedure, the term universal refers to a sequence that allows the use of a single primer or primer set for multiple amplification reactions. The use of such primers greatly simplifies multiplexing in that only two primers are needed to amplify multiple selected nucleic acid sequences. When used to describe a priming site, the term universal refers to the site to which the universal primer hybridizes. It should also be noted that a "set" of universal priming sequences / primers may be used.

[0022] Hybridization: The term hybridization or hybridization refers to the process of a DNA or RNA molecule annealing to complementary DNA or RNA. Both DNA or RNA replication and transcription of DNA into RNA depend on nucleotide hybridization.

[0023] Ligation: The term ligation refers to the joining of two nucleic acid fragments by the action of an enzyme. DNA ligase is an enzyme that can catalyze the formation of a phosphodiester bond between the ends of two polynucleotide strands that are joined to adjacent sites on complementary strands. In one embodiment, ligation can be performed chemically, particularly if both adjacent ends of the polynucleotide are modified to allow chemical ligation.

[0024] Amplification: As used herein, the term amplification refers to the use of DNA polymerase to increase the concentration of a specific nucleotide sequence within a mixture of nucleotide sequences. "PCR" or "polymerase chain reaction" is a rapid procedure for in vitro enzymatic amplification of a specific DNA / RNA segment. The DNA / RNA to be amplified can be denatured by heating the sample. The term primer refers to a strand of RNA or DNA (generally about 18-22 bases) that serves as the starting point for DNA synthesis. DNA polymerase, the enzyme that catalyzes this process, is necessary for DNA replication because it can only add new nucleotides to an existing strand of DNA.

[0025] Polymerase: A polymerase is an enzyme that synthesizes long chains, or polymers, of nucleic acids. DNA polymerases and RNA polymerases are used to assemble DNA and RNA molecules, respectively, by replicating DNA or RNA template strands using base-pairing interactions.

[0026] High Throughput: The term high throughput refers to the ability to not only process and screen many DNA samples simultaneously, but also to simultaneously screen many different loci within a single DNA sample. High throughput sequencing or screening, often abbreviated as HTS, is a method for scientific experimentation that is particularly relevant for efficiently screening large numbers of samples simultaneously.

[0027] Endonuclease: An endonuclease is an enzyme that cleaves or nicks DNA double or single strands at random or directed locations.

[0028] Nicking endonuclease: The term nicking endonuclease has its ordinary meaning in the art, i.e., refers to an enzyme that cleaves only one strand of a double-stranded DNA molecule to produce a DNA molecule that is nicked rather than cleaved.

[0029] Barcode: The probes and oligos used in the present invention may contain one or more barcodes consisting of nucleotide sequences. The barcode sequence may include a target nucleotide sequence identifier sequence for target counting, a sample identifier sequence, and / or a molecular barcode (also called a unique molecular identifier). The barcode sequence may include a random sequence. The terms second barcode, third barcode, or fourth barcode do not necessarily imply that a first barcode or additional barcodes are already present. As described, there should be at least one barcode that allows for uniquely defining the complex within every ligation complex in every sample tested.

[0030] As described above, the present disclosure relates to a method for high-throughput amplification and detection of target nucleotide sequences in a large number of samples by utilizing ligation-dependent assays. The present disclosure provides a method for determining the sequence of gene targets in a complex nucleic acid pool using technology acceptable for next-generation sequencing. The present disclosure also provides a method for profiling a large number of gene targets in many samples, preferably a large number of samples, by utilizing ligation-dependent assays. The present disclosure provides a method for multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, which allows for interrogation of different target nucleic acids in multiple samples. The method of the present invention allows for sequencing of one or more target nucleotide sequences in multiple samples, providing multiple different probe sets for different target nucleic acids. When processing the sequencing data, unique sequence identifiers are used for identifying gene targets and absolute quantification of individual samples from a sample pool.

[0031] In a first main aspect, the present invention provides a method for high throughput amplification and optional subsequent detection of one or more target nucleotide sequences in a plurality of samples, the method comprising: (i) for each target nucleotide sequence in each of the samples, providing a first probe, a second probe, at least one loop oligo, and a bridge oligo, or a plurality of bridge oligonucleotides capable of annealing to the loop oligo to form a bridge oligo complex; the first probe comprises a first bridging oligo-specific sequence at the 5' end of the first probe, optionally a first sequence barcode, and a first target-specific portion at the 3' end of the first probe; the second probe comprises a second target-specific portion at the 5' end of the second probe, optionally a second sequence barcode, and a second bridging oligo-specific sequence at the 3' end of the second probe; the loop oligo comprises, starting from the 5' end of the molecule, a third bridge oligo-specific sequence, a loop sequence, and a fourth bridge oligo-specific sequence, the loop sequence optionally comprising a third sequence barcode, the loop sequence containing two sequences that can anneal to each other to form a double-stranded portion, the double-stranded portion comprising a recognition site for a nicking endonuclease; the bridge oligo or multiple bridge oligonucleotides contain sequences complementary to the first and second bridge oligo-specific sequences in the first and second probes, respectively, and sequences complementary to the third and fourth bridge oligo-specific sequences in the loop oligo, and the bridge oligo or multiple bridge oligonucleotides optionally comprise a fourth sequence barcode; at least one of a first sequence barcode, a second sequence barcode, a third sequence barcode, or a fourth sequence barcode is present; (ii) contacting, for each of the one or more target nucleotide sequences, a first probe and a second probe, preferably for each sample in separate tubes, with a bridge oligo or multiple bridge oligonucleotides and optionally a loop oligo, and allowing self-annealing to the probe complex, where a loop oligo is added, optionally including a further oligonucleotide complementary to the bridge oligo or multiple bridge oligonucleotides to fill in single-stranded gaps, if present, between the loop oligo and the first probe and / or the loop oligo and the second probe; (iia) if a loop oligo was added in step (ii), optionally performing polymerase extension to fill in single-stranded gaps in the annealed probe complex, if present; (iib) optionally ligating the double-stranded portion of the probe complex if a loop oligo was added in step (ii); Step (iib) may be carried out simultaneously with step (iia); (iii) if a loop oligo was not added in step (ii), contacting nucleic acids present in each of the samples to be tested for the target nucleotide sequence with the probe complex and the loop oligo; (iv) hybridizing the first and second target-specific portions of the respective first and second probes to essentially adjacent portions on the target sequence, and, if a loop oligo was added in step (iii), hybridizing the loop oligo to the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotides, thereby forming a hybridization complex; (v) optionally pooling hybridization complexes from multiple samples; (vi) ligating the probes in the hybridization complex to provide a ligated ligation complex; (vii) amplifying nucleic acids from one or more ligated ligation complexes using rolling circle amplification with a strand-displacing polymerase to allow annealing of two sequences in the loop sequence that can anneal to each other, thereby obtaining a concatemeric molecule comprising a loop structure having a single-stranded portion and a double-stranded portion comprising a recognition site for a nicking endonuclease; (viii) nicking the double-stranded portion with a nicking endonuclease having specificity for the recognition site; (ix) performing a denaturation step such that the nicked concatemeric molecules are broken down into separate segments with complementary ends; (x) allowing intramolecular annealing of complementary ends of the segments and intramolecularly ligating the separate segments, thereby obtaining a circular molecule; Optionally, (xi) subjecting the circular molecules obtained in step (x) to high-throughput sequencing technology to determine the barcode sequence; (xii) identifying the presence and / or number of target nucleotide sequences in the plurality of samples by determining at least a portion of the first target-specific portion and / or the second target-specific portion, and / or at least a portion of the first barcode and / or the second barcode, and / or at least a portion of the third barcode and / or at least a portion of the fourth barcode; Steps (v) and (vi) may be performed in any order; Regarding the method.

[0032] In one embodiment, the method comprises steps (xi) and (xii).

[0033] FIG. 1 provides a non-limiting illustration of an embodiment of the method of the present invention.

[0034] The method of the present invention utilizes four or more nucleic acid molecules, of which two target-specific nucleic acid probes (first and second probes) are specific to a genetic target, and two or more other nucleic acid probes are typically universal (bridge oligos or bridge oligo complexes and loop oligos). The first probe, second probe, and loop oligo hybridize to one or more bridge probes to form a probe complex. A probe complex (containing one or more barcode sequences) bearing a target identification site on the sample DNA or RNA is hybridized to a complementary target sequence in a query sample. After hybridization, the first and second probes are chemically or enzymatically ligated with a DNA ligase to form a ligated ligation complex. In the present invention, multiple such ligated ligation complexes are formed during sample analysis in multiple samples being analyzed.

[0035] "Multiple samples" may refer to, but are not limited to, two or more samples obtained from the human or animal body, including biopsies, saliva and other secretions, breath extracts, tissue, plasma (liquid biopsies), two or more samples obtained from the environment, including water, wastewater, soil, plants, or two or more samples containing viruses or bacteria, etc. In one embodiment, the samples are used without any prior purification or concentration of nucleic acids. In another embodiment, the samples may be pre-treated, for example, by lysing cells to expose nucleic acids.

[0036] The target sequence may include any nucleotide sequence of interest that requires detection. The target nucleotide sequences of the present disclosure may be obtained from, but are not limited to, the DNA fraction in a patient's blood or the DNA fraction in maternal blood. The DNA fraction in a patient's blood may be obtained, for example, from apoptotic / necrotic cancer cells, or from the DNA fraction in maternal blood from a fetus and / or a mother. Furthermore, the results of the analysis may be used to, for example, assess an individual's risk for a certain type of cancer, determine the effectiveness of a certain treatment for a certain cancer, the occurrence of drug resistance-associated mutations in tumors, or the risk of a fetus having a genetic disorder such as common trisomy Down syndrome, Patau syndrome, and Edwards syndrome. In certain embodiments, the method includes providing multiple different probe sets for each target nucleotide sequence.

[0037] As used herein, the term probe set includes a first probe, a second probe, a loop oligo, and one or more bridge oligos.

[0038] In certain embodiments, the first probe comprises, starting from the 5' end of the molecule, optionally a 5' phosphate, a first bridging oligo-specific sequence, optionally a first universal sequence, optionally a first sequence barcode, and at its 3' end a first target-specific portion.

[0039] In certain embodiments, the second probe comprises, starting from the 5' end of the molecule, optionally a 5' phosphate, a second target-specific portion, optionally a second sequence barcode, optionally a second universal sequence, and at its 3' end a second bridging oligo-specific sequence.

[0040] The bridge oligo or bridge oligos contain sequences complementary to the first and second bridge oligo-specific sequences in the first and second probes, respectively, optionally a universal sequence, optionally a fourth sequence barcode, and sequences complementary to the third and fourth bridge oligo-specific sequences in the loop oligo.

[0041] Starting from the 5' end of the molecule, the loop oligo comprises a third bridge oligo-specific sequence, a loop sequence, and a fourth bridge oligo-specific sequence, the loop sequence optionally comprising a third sequence barcode, and the loop sequence contains two sequences capable of annealing to each other to form a double-stranded portion, the double-stranded portion comprising a recognition site for a nicking endonuclease. The two sequences capable of annealing to each other contained within the loop sequence may each be at least 5 bases long, e.g., at least 6, 7, 8, 9, or at least 10 bases long, e.g., between 10 and 50 bases long, e.g., 10-25 bases or 10-15 bases long. The barcodes can be used to uniquely define complexes within all ligation complexes across all samples tested. The loop oligo may be of any suitable length, e.g., 30-100 bp long, e.g., 40-60 bp long.

[0042] Optionally, at least one of the first probe, second probe, loop oligo, or one or more bridge oligos includes a first capture moiety. As used herein, a first capture moiety refers to a moiety, such as a chemical group, that allows a probe, probe complex, ligation complex, or hybridization complex to be captured by, i.e., bound to, a second capture moiety linked to a solid support. Any suitable capture moiety known in the art for this purpose can be used. A well-known suitable example is the capture of biotinylated molecules using streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. Thus, in one embodiment, the first capture moiety is a biotin moiety that can interact with a streptavidin or avidin moiety (second capture moiety) linked to a solid support, such as a magnetic bead. Other options include biotin derivatives, such as dual biotin, desthiobiotin, or photocleavable biotin, that can be used for conjugation with streptavidin / avidin. Further options include the use of thiol and acryldite groups for acryldite / acrylamide conjugation, alkyne and azide groups for click chemistry, and digoxigenin for anti-digoxigenin antibody conjugation. The conjugation partners can be provided on any solid surface, such as beads (magnetic or otherwise) or a solid support. Thus, in one embodiment of the method of the present invention, at least one of the first probe, the second probe, the loop oligo, or one or more bridge oligos comprises a first capture moiety, and between steps (iv) and (v), an intermediate step (iv)(a) is performed, which comprises contacting the hybridization complex with a solid support comprising a second capture moiety, allowing the first and second capture moieties to interact such that the hybridization complex is linked to the solid support, and separating the solid support-linked hybridization complex from components of the sample that are not linked to the solid support.

[0043] The first target-specific portion, the second target-specific portion, the first bridging oligo-specific sequence, the second bridging oligo-specific sequence, the third bridging oligo-specific sequence, and / or the fourth bridging oligo-specific sequence, independently of one another, optionally contain at least one chemically modified nucleotide to increase probe binding. Chemical modifications to increase probe binding include, but are not limited to, ribonucleic acids, peptide nucleic acids, and locked nucleic acids (e.g., as shown in Figure 3 of WO 2019 / 038372, incorporated herein by reference). In one embodiment, the bridging portion of the first probe, the second probe, the loop oligo, or all three of these, contains a chemically modified base to enable improved binding to one or more bridging oligos. In another embodiment, the first target-specific portion, the second target-specific portion, the first bridging oligo-specific sequence, the second bridging oligo-specific sequence, the third bridging oligo-specific sequence, and / or the fourth bridging oligo-specific sequence, independently of one another, contain one or more chemically modified nucleotides. In certain embodiments, the chemical modification allows for chemical ligation of adjacent probes, hi one embodiment, one or more of the oligonucleotides of the first probe, the second probe, the loop oligo, the bridge oligo, or the plurality of bridge oligonucleotides is modified to allow for chemical ligation.

[0044] In some embodiments, the probes bind to perfectly adjacent loci, i.e., adjacent portions of the target nucleotide sequence, or at most 500 base pairs, such as at most 200 base pairs, e.g., at most 50 base pairs, at most 40 base pairs, at most 30 base pairs, at most 20 base pairs, at most 10 base pairs, or at most 5 base pairs apart.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first probe, the second probe, the loop oligo, or one or more bridge oligos may include adapter sequences for DNA sequencing platforms, such as (but not limited to) Illumina, Element Biosciences, Complete Genomics, or Pacific Biosciences platforms, which allow the resulting sequencing library to bind to a detection portion of a sequencing device, such as an Illumina, Element Biosciences, Complete Genomics, or Pacific Biosciences flow cell.

[0046] Additionally, in some embodiments, the oligonucleotide of the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotide is (i) 1 to 5 3' overhanging bases (i.e., additional bases that do not form a duplex with the second probe), and / or (ii) a 3' phosphate, and / or (iii) one or more phosphorothioate modifications within the third position from the 3' end, and / or (iv) another modification that protects the crosslink from exonuclease activity and / or prevents amplification from the 3' end; Includes.

[0047] Before contacting the probe with a sample containing the target sequence, the first probe, second probe, and optionally, loop oligo are contacted with a bridge oligo (or multiple oligonucleotides capable of forming a bridge oligo complex) for each sample, preferably in separate tubes, to allow annealing to the probe complex (step (ii)). The bridge oligo and loop oligo may be pre-annealed before annealing with the first and second probes, or all annealing steps may be performed at once. In embodiments where the bridge is not a single oligo but multiple oligonucleotides, e.g., two oligonucleotides, that can anneal to the loop oligo to form a bridge oligo complex (shown in 2G herein), the multiple oligonucleotides may be pre-annealed with the loop oligo before annealing with the first and second probes, or all annealing steps may be performed at once.

[0048] In some embodiments, if a loop oligo is added in step (ii), the probe and oligonucleotide in the probe complex may be ligated before proceeding to step (iii).

[0049] In some embodiments, if a loop oligo is added in step (ii), if a single-stranded gap remains when the first probe, the second probe, and the loop are annealed to the bridging oligonucleotide or bridging oligonucleotides, such gap can be filled. This can be done by including an additional oligonucleotide complementary to the bridging oligonucleotide or bridging oligonucleotides. Alternatively, or in addition, polymerase extension can be performed to fill the single-stranded gap in the annealed probe complex. Following or simultaneously with gap filling, a ligase can be added to ligate the double-stranded portions of the probe.

[0050] Preferably, each probe complex is unique to the combination of the first target-specific sequence, the second target-specific sequence, and one or more barcode sequences, which allows for counting of target sequences after amplification and analysis of the results.

[0051] Then, in step (iii), one or more target nucleotide sequences in the plurality of samples are contacted with the plurality of probe complexes and the loop oligo, if no loop oligo was added in step (ii). Thus, the methods of the present invention include the use of a loop oligo, which may be added in step (ii) or step (iii). In one embodiment, the loop oligo is added in step (ii). In another embodiment, the loop oligo is added in step (iii). When the loop oligo is added in step (iii), contacting the probe complex with the sample and the loop oligo in step (iii) may be performed simultaneously or sequentially in any order, i.e., first with the sample and then with the loop oligo, or first with the loop oligo and then with the sample.

[0052] The first and second target-specific portions of the first and second probes, respectively, hybridize to essentially adjacent portions on the target sequence, and if a loop oligo is added in step (iii), the loop oligo hybridizes to a bridging oligo or bridging oligonucleotides, thereby forming a hybridization complex (step (iv)). It should be understood that in the context of step (iv), references to the first probe, the second probe, and the bridging oligo or bridging oligonucleotides are intended to refer to the portions of the probe complex derived from these probes or oligos. As noted above, the essentially adjacent portions on the target sequence may be directly adjacent or may be spaced apart by up to 500 base pairs.

[0053] In some embodiments, the sample has a volume of more than 100 microliters, e.g., more than 1 ml. In further embodiments, the sample has a nucleic acid concentration of less than 5 pmol, e.g., less than 1 pmol, e.g., less than 200 fmol. In one embodiment, the plurality of samples comprises one or more blood samples, one or more saliva samples, one or more urine samples, or one or more fecal samples.

[0054] Subsequently, in some embodiments, if at least one of the first probe, the second probe, the loop oligo, or one or more bridge oligos comprises a first capture moiety, the hybridization complex is contacted with a solid support comprising a second capture moiety, and the first capture moiety and the second capture moiety are allowed to interact such that the hybridization complex is linked to the solid support (optional step (iv)(a)). The solid support-linked hybridization complex is then separated from components of the sample that are not linked to the solid support. If the solid support is a magnetic bead, a magnet may be used to immobilize the beads and remove any remaining liquid sample. Optionally, a washing step is performed before proceeding.

[0055] Step (iv)(a) results in purification and concentration of nucleic acids, allowing for improved results, particularly for highly impure samples. In one embodiment, the method of the present invention does not include a step of concentrating nucleic acids before step (iv)(a). Thus, in one embodiment, the method does not include a step before step (vi) in which the nucleic acids in the original sample are concentrated more than 2-fold, more than 10-fold, or more than 100-fold. In another embodiment, the method of the present invention does not include a purification step after ligation in step (vi).

[0056] Subsequently, ligation of the probes in the formed hybridized complex is carried out either enzymatically or chemically to obtain a ligated ligation complex (step (vi)). Optionally, as part of step (vi), the gap (if present) between the first probe and the second probe, between the first probe and the loop oligo, and / or between the second probe and the loop oligo can be filled by introducing a polymerase and one or more nucleotides. The polymerase adds a nucleotide (a) complementary to the bridging oligo sequence, thereby filling the gap between the first probe, the second probe, and the loop oligo, ligating the probes and including the loop oligo in the bridged complementary strand. The bridging oligo or bridging oligo complex is extended from the 5' or 3' site complementary to the ligated probe, such that the target sequence identifier sequence present in the first probe or the second probe is incorporated into the bridging oligo or bridging oligo complex. Preferably, a polymerase that does not degrade double-stranded DNA, such as Taq polymerase, is used so as not to interfere with ligation of the first probe to the second probe when both are annealed to the target sequence. In one embodiment, the bridge oligo or one or more oligonucleotides of the plurality of bridge oligonucleotides contain a plurality of universal base analogs in the region not complementary to the first probe, the second probe, or the loop oligo, allowing for the incorporation of random sequences suitable for use as molecular barcodes for target counting. In such an embodiment, as part of step (vi), a gap-filling step is performed using a polymerase and nucleotides to generate such random sequences. In an embodiment, the plurality of universal base analogs is a plurality of 5-nitroindoles.

[0057] The ligated ligation complexes are then optionally pooled from one or more target samples (step (vi)). Steps (v) and (vi) may be performed in the order specified, or in reverse order.

[0058] Next, nucleic acid from one or more ligated ligation complexes is amplified, thereby obtaining a single-stranded concatemer sequence (step (vii)). Amplification is performed using a strand-displacing polymerase, such as phi29 polymerase (UniProtKB-P03680; DPOL_BPPH2) or Bst polymerase (P52026; DPO1_GEOSE), starting from the 3' end of the bridging oligo and / or target-specific probe, or starting from a universal oligo complementary to a conserved portion of the ligated ligation complex added immediately before step (vii). This allows for annealing of two sequences in the loop sequence that can anneal to each other, thereby obtaining a concatemer molecule containing a loop structure with a single-stranded portion and a double-stranded portion containing a recognition site for a nicking endonuclease. In a further embodiment of the invention, one or more additional oligonucleotides complementary to the amplified concatemer may be added to enable exponential branching amplification.

[0059] In one embodiment, steps (a) and (b) are performed after step (vi) but before step (vii), wherein step (a) comprises dissociating the ligated ligation complex from the target nucleotide sequence, and step (b) comprises adding a target-specific probe comprising a sequence corresponding to the target nucleotide sequence, wherein the target-specific probe is capable of annealing to the ligated ligation complex, thereby forming an amplification template. In such an embodiment, the amplification template is amplified in step (vii) by rolling circle amplification with a strand-displacing polymerase.

[0060] Optionally, after the amplification in step (vii), if any solid support is present, it is removed, and the supernatant is used for subsequent processing. For example, if the solid support is magnetic particles, they can be removed using a magnet. In some other embodiments of the method of the present invention, the interaction between the first capture moiety and the second capture moiety is disrupted immediately after step (v), after step (vi), or after step (vii). For example, if the first capture moiety is biotin and the second capture moiety is streptavidin, the interaction can be disrupted by adding excess soluble biotin. If streptavidin is bound to magnetic particles, the streptavidin can then be removed using a magnet.

[0061] In step (viii) following step (vii), the double-stranded portion of the loop structure is nicked with a nicking endonuclease having specificity for the recognition site. In one embodiment, the nicking endonuclease is Nb.BbvCI or Nb.BsrDI.

[0062] Step (ix) comprises carrying out a denaturation step to disintegrate the nicked concatemeric molecules into separate segments with complementary ends. The denaturation can be carried out using methods well known in the art for denaturing double-stranded DNA, such as heating and / or chemical treatment.

[0063] The subsequent step (x) involves allowing intramolecular annealing of the complementary ends of the segments and intramolecularly ligating the separate segments, thereby obtaining a circular molecule.

[0064] Optionally, the method further comprises: (xi) subjecting the circular molecules obtained in step (x) to high-throughput sequencing technology, including but not limited to platforms provided by Element Biosciences or Complete Genomics, to determine the barcode sequence; (xii) identifying the presence and / or number of target nucleotide sequences in the plurality of samples by determining at least a portion of the first target-specific portion and / or the second target-specific portion, and / or at least a portion of the first barcode and / or the second barcode, and / or at least a portion of the third barcode and / or at least a portion of the fourth barcode.

[0065] Identifying the presence and / or number of target nucleotide sequences in multiple samples can be performed by determining at least a portion of the first and / or second target-specific portions and / or at least a portion of the barcodes by high-throughput sequencing technology (steps (xi) and (xii)), for example, using a next-generation sequencing platform, including but not limited to Element Biosciences Aviti or Complete Genomics G99. Preferably, gene target counting is achieved by counting the number of molecular barcodes or sequencing reads per target and per sample. Samples are separated from the sequence data (deconvolved), and sequence targets are quantified in silico after DNA sequencing.

[0066] Advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to, quantitative assays with low cost, high simplicity, high specificity, high sensitivity, high accuracy, high throughput, high scalability, and high turnover compared to conventional nucleic acid sequencing technologies. Another aspect of the present invention is that the methods of the present invention enable pooling of multiple samples for sample indexing early in the workflow, providing improvements in assay cost and speed. Another aspect of the present invention is that the methods of the present invention enable accurate and massively parallel quantification of multiple nucleic acid targets in multiple samples, including human and animal populations, and including large amounts of raw sample material. As described above, in preferred embodiments, samples such as urine samples are used without any prior purification or enrichment of nucleic acids. In other embodiments, samples may be pretreated, for example, by lysing cells to expose nucleic acids. One particular advantage of the present invention is that it enables the detection and amplification of target sequences of interest using unique probe designs, i.e., probe triplets. The probes are designed with specially positioned modified nucleotides that improve annealing and binding efficiency. Improved binding characteristics result in greater assay specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. The methods of the present invention are equally applicable to studying genetic variants and find application in diagnostics and prognoses, including but not limited to, genotyping samples for one or more sequences and / or polymorphisms, such as SNPs and / or indels, cancer diagnosis, or fetal chromosomal disorders from maternal blood. In a preferred embodiment, in the case of two or more samples or two or more loci / allele combinations, barcode sequences are used to genotype the samples for one or more sequences and / or polymorphisms, such as SNPs and / or indels.

[0067] One particular advantage of the present invention is that it enables the detection and amplification of target sequences of interest using unique probe designs. The probes are designed with improved binding properties, resulting in greater assay specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. The present invention finds application in the fields of molecular biology, evolutionary biology, metagenomics, genotyping, and more particularly, but not limited to, cancer diagnosis or fetal chromosomal disorders, including genotyping samples for one or more sequences and / or polymorphisms, such as, but not limited to, SNPs and / or indels.

[0068] In one particularly preferred embodiment, the loop oligo contains information for identifying the sample and includes a unique barcode. In such a case, the first and second probes are universally applicable to all samples (and contain only information for identifying the target). Thus, in one preferred embodiment, a method according to the present invention is provided in which the loop oligo contains a barcode containing a unique sequence that allows counting of the target sequence for each sample. The following examples and Figures 1 and 2 are included to illustrate the invention and are not intended to be limiting. [Example]

[0069] (method) 1. Probe Complex Formation The probe complex contains the sequences necessary for genome targeting, sample indexing, and circle amplification. A four-component probe complex can be formed (as shown in FIG. 2), which comprises: (a) a first probe having, starting from the 5' end of the molecule, a first bridging oligo-specific sequence and a first target-specific portion at the 3' end of the first probe; (b) a second probe having, starting from the 5' end of the molecule, a second target-specific portion, a second sequence barcode, and a second bridging oligo-specific sequence at the 3' end of the second probe; (c) a bridge oligo having a sequence complementary to the first bridge oligo-specific sequence and the second bridge oligo-specific sequence in each of the first and second probes; (d) a loop oligo having a sequence complementary to the bridge oligo.

[0070] The probe complex is constructed by combining all three parts (bridge, right arm, and left arm) in equimolar amounts in an annealing reaction, which is carried out in a thermocycler (annealing program in Table 1).

[0071] [Table 1]

[0072] 2. Target Capture The specific genomic region containing the mutation of interest is targeted. Purified DNA (e.g., from tissue, plasma, urine, or saliva) can be used as the sample, or the sample can be unpurified and only pretreated, for example, by boiling and / or centrifugation.

[0073] The probe complex hybridizes to the target region through base sequence complementary interactions. To initiate target capture, the probe complex and target DNA are mixed and incubated in a thermal cycler (target capture and gap filling program in Table 2).

[0074] [Table 2]

[0075] 3. Gap-filling reaction After target capture, the probe complexes from the separate targeting reactions are pooled, then extended and ligated by adding a combination of Phusion DNA polymerase, nucleotides, and Ampligase DNA ligase and incubating at +55°C for 30 minutes.

[0076] 4. Exonuclease Treatment Gap-filling linear molecules are removed by adding 1 μl of thermolabile exonuclease 1 (NEB, #M0568L) and 1 μl of RecJF exonuclease (NEB, #M0264L) and incubating for 30 minutes at +37° C. The exonucleases are inactivated by incubating for 10 minutes at +92° C.

[0077] 5. Purification of Circular Molecules After exonuclease treatment, the circular probe molecules are purified with size selection beads (such as Bechham Coulter AMPure XP or Macherey Nagel NucleoMag). The purity and quantity of the circular probe molecules are determined by qPCR or some equivalent method.

[0078] 6. Rolling Circle Amplification After purification, the circular probe molecules are subjected to rolling circle amplification (RCA). For the RCA reaction, the circular probe molecules are mixed with an RCA reaction mixture containing EquipPhi29 (Thermo Scientific) polymerase and specific oligonucleotide primers. The reaction is incubated at +42°C for 30 minutes to 2 hours. After the RCA reaction, the efficiency of the reaction is analyzed by measuring the concentration of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) using a Qubit fluorometer or qPCR.

[0079] 7. Loop Fold After the rolling circle amplification (RCA) reaction, the long concatemeric ssDNA molecules containing multiple copies of the target library and loop oligos are subjected to a folding reaction. The reaction conditions are adjusted by supplementing the buffer with folding modifiers, such as MgCl2 and dendrimers such as polyamideimine (PANAM), polypropyleneimine (PPI), and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The reaction is incubated at +95°C for 6 minutes and then gradually cooled to +25°C within 30 minutes.

[0080] 8. Nicking Reaction / Loop Digestion The loop folding reaction produces long concatemeric ssDNA molecules with multiple copies of precisely located dsDNA loops separating each complete target library segment. The loop formation creates a double-stranded recognition sequence for a specific nicking endonuclease (including, but not limited to, Nb.BbvCI or Nb.BsrDI). This sequence allows sequence-specific cleavage of the long concatemer to separate target library segments with complementary ends. The RCA product is digested with the nicking endonuclease at +37°C for 30-60 minutes. The nicking endonuclease is inactivated by incubation at +80°C for 8 minutes. The efficiency of the nicking reaction is measured using qPCR or agarose gel analysis.

[0081] 9. Purification of Targeted Library Molecules After nicking endonuclease treatment, the target library molecules are purified with size-selection beads (such as Beckman Coulter AMPure XP or Macherey Nagel NucleoMag), and the purity and quantity of the molecules are determined by qPCR or similar methods.

[0082] 10. Religation of Targeted Library Molecules After purification, the ends of the molecules are intramolecularly ligated to form circular ssDNA molecules. The purified molecules are supplemented with reaction buffer and ligated with T4 DNA ligase at +26°C for 90 minutes. After ligation, non-circularized molecules are removed by adding 1 μl of thermolabile exonuclease 1 (NEB, #M0568L) and 1 μl of RecJF exonuclease (NEB, #M0264L) and incubating at +37°C for 30 minutes. The reaction is inactivated by incubating at +92°C for 10 minutes. The purity and quantity of the molecules are determined by qPCR or an equivalent method.

[0083] 11. Purification of cyclic molecules After ligation, the target library molecules are purified with size selection beads (such as Bechham Coulter AMPure XP or Macherey Nagel NucleoMag), and the purity and quantity of the molecules are determined by qPCR or an equivalent method.

[0084] (result) Figure 3 shows the cleavage of concatemeric DNA molecules using a nicking endonuclease. Odd-numbered lanes represent unnicked concatemeric DNA molecules, and even-numbered lanes represent DNA molecules derived from the concatemers after nicking and denaturation. While unnicked concatemeric DNA molecules do not migrate far from the loading well on the electrophoresis gel due to their large size, nicking and denaturing the concatemeric DNA molecules results in small molecules that migrate easily on the electrophoresis gel.

[0085] Figure 4 shows the circularization of monomeric DNA molecules resulting from nicking and denaturation of concatemeric DNA molecules. Circularization is measured by PCR amplification through the religated loops, yielding a bright amplification product of the correct size on lane 2.

[0086] (Detailed description of Figures 1 and 2) Figure 1 shows the workflow of one embodiment of the described invention. In step 1, nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) (102) within a sample are contacted with a set of probe complexes (104). The probe complexes anneal to target nucleic acids (106). In step 2, target-bound probe complexes are optionally captured from the sample material. In step 3, ligated probe complexes (110) from multiple samples are pooled together (112). In step 4, the annealed and pooled ligation complexes are ligated to obtain ligated ligation complexes. In step 5, the probe sequences are amplified by rolling circle amplification using phi29 polymerase or other strand-displacing polymerase to obtain long concatemeric copies of the probes (116). In step 6, the concatemeric probe copies are cleaved into nicked concatemeric DNA using a nicking endonuclease such as Nb.BbvCI or Nb.BsrDI. In step 7, the nicked concatemeric DNA is denatured to break the concatemeric structure into monomeric units and then reconstitute the monomeric units into nicked circular DNA molecules. In step 8, the nicked circular DNA molecules are ligated into circular DNA molecules, which can optionally be used as templates for sequencing.

[0087] Figure 2A shows the principle structure of a probe quadrupole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The multiple probe entities include a first probe (202), a second probe (201), a bridge oligo (200), and a loop oligo (217). Here, the probe complex contains a gap or nick between the first probe and the loop oligo (210 and 213), a gap or nick between the second probe and the loop oligo (207 and 215), and a gap or nick between the target-specific portion of the first probe and the target-specific portion of the second probe (203 and 204). These gaps are filled by introducing a polymerase and one or more nucleotides. This process can use a mixture of Stoffel fragment, Taq polymerase, or Phusion polymerase, and a DNA ligase such as Ampligase. The polymerase fills these gaps, and the subsequent action of the DNA ligase results in the ligation of the probe, bridge, and loop oligo into a circular complex.

[0088] Bases 15-25 of the first probe comprise a cross-linking sequence (210), which optionally contains chemically modified bases for efficient cross-linking oligo binding. The first probe further comprises 15-30 bases from the 5' end that bind to the genetic target (203). Some or all of the 210 nucleotides may contain chemical modifications that increase the affinity of the probe for the target or cross-link (209). The last base of the first probe optionally contains a phosphate moiety for enzymatic ligation or a modification (205) that allows chemical ligation to the 5' end of an adjacent probe.

[0089] The first base of the second probe optionally contains a phosphate moiety for enzymatic ligation or a modification (206) that allows chemical ligation to the 5' end of an adjacent probe. The 15-30 bases from the 5' end of the second probe comprise the portion of the second probe that binds to the genetic target (204). The last 15-25 bases of the second probe (207) are reverse complementary to the bridge oligo (208). Some or all of nucleotides 203, 204, 207, or 210 may contain chemical modifications that increase the affinity of the probe for the target or bridge oligo.

[0090] The first 15-25 bases from the 5' end of the bridge oligo (209) are reverse complementary to the bridge oligo-specific sequence of the first probe (210) and optionally contain chemically modified nucleotides to increase binding. The last 15-25 bases of the bridge oligo (208) are reverse complementary to the sequence of the second probe (207) and optionally contain chemically modified nucleotides to increase binding. The 5' end of the bridge oligo optionally contains a capture moiety (211) used to capture the probe complex. Additionally, the bridge oligo contains sequences 214 and 216 complementary to sequences 213 and 215 of the loop oligo. The 3' end of the bridge oligo optionally contains a phosphate (or other cleavable) moiety (212) to prevent extension during gap filling.

[0091] The first 15-25 bases from the 5' end of loop oligo (215) are reverse complementary to bridge oligo sequence 216. The loop oligo optionally includes a barcode (218). The last 15-25 bases of loop oligo (213) are reverse complementary to bridge oligo sequence 214.

[0092] The first probe, bridge oligo, loop oligo, and / or second probe may contain a barcode sequence, such as a sample barcode or unique molecular identifier.

[0093] 2B shows the principle structure of a probe set having multiple probe entities according to an embodiment of the present invention. The probe corresponds to the probe of FIG. 2A, except that this embodiment includes two additional oligonucleotides aligned with the bridge oligo around the loop oligo (219 and 220), thus leaving nicks between 210 and 220, between 220 and 213, between 215 and 219, and between 219 and 207, allowing the first probe (202), the first additional oligo (220), the loop oligo (217), the second additional oligo (219), and the second probe (201) to be linked by ligation.

[0094] Figure 2C shows the principle structure of a probe set having multiple probe entities according to an embodiment of the invention. The probes correspond to those of Figure 2A, except that in this embodiment, the loop oligo is positioned immediately adjacent to the first probe, leaving a nick between 210 and 213.

[0095] 2D shows the principle structure of a probe set having multiple probe entities according to an embodiment of the present invention. The probes correspond to those of FIG. 2A, except that in this embodiment, the loop oligo is positioned immediately adjacent to the first probe, leaving a nick between 210 and 213, and an additional oligonucleotide (219) is aligned with the bridge oligo, leaving a nick between 215 and 219 and between 219 and 207, allowing the first probe (202), loop oligo (217), additional oligo (219), and second probe (201) to be linked by ligation.

[0096] Figure 2E shows the principle structure of a probe set having multiple probe entities according to an embodiment of the invention. The probes correspond to those of Figure 2A, except that in this embodiment, the loop oligo is positioned immediately adjacent to the second probe, leaving a nick between 215 and 207.

[0097] 2F shows the principle structure of a probe set having multiple probe entities according to an embodiment of the present invention. The probes correspond to those of FIG. 2A, except that in this embodiment, the loop oligo is positioned immediately adjacent to the second probe, leaving a nick between 215 and 207, and an additional oligonucleotide (219) is aligned with the bridge oligo, leaving a nick between 210 and 219 and between 219 and 213, allowing the first probe (202), the additional oligo (219), the loop oligo (217), and the second probe (201) to be linked by ligation.

[0098] Figure 2G shows the principle structure of a probe set with multiple probe entities according to an embodiment of the present invention. The probes correspond to those of Figure 2A, except that this embodiment includes two bridge oligos (200 and 220), where bridge oligos 200 include 209 and 214, and bridge oligos 220 include 208 and 216.

[0099] Figure 2H shows the principle structure of a probe set with multiple probe entities, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The probe corresponds to the probe of Figure 2A, except that the bridge oligo 200 contains a sequence (219) that includes multiple universal base analogs, allowing for the incorporation of random sequences suitable for use as molecular barcodes for target enumeration. Either or both of the sequences of 219 shown may be present.

[0100] Figure 2I shows the principle structure of a probe quadrupole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The multiple probe entities include a first probe (202), a second probe (201), a bridge oligo (200), and a loop oligo (217). Here, the probe complex contains a gap between the first probe and the loop oligo (210 and 213), a gap between the second probe and the loop oligo (207 and 215), and a gap between the target-specific portion of the first probe and the target-specific portion of the second probe (203 and 204). These gaps are filled by introducing a polymerase and one or more nucleotides. This process can use a mixture of Stoffel fragment, Taq polymerase, or Phusion polymerase, and a DNA ligase such as Ampligase. The polymerase fills these gaps, and the subsequent action of the DNA ligase results in the ligation of the probe, bridge, and loop oligo into a circular complex.

[0101] Bases 15-25 of the first probe comprise a cross-linking sequence (210), which optionally contains chemically modified bases for efficient cross-linking oligo binding. The first probe further comprises 15-30 bases from the 5' end, which are binding sites for the amplification primer (221) and barcode sequence (222) and a sequence that binds to the genetic target (203). Some or all of the 210 nucleotides may contain chemical modifications that increase the affinity of the probe for the target or cross-link (209). The last base of the first probe optionally contains a phosphate moiety for enzymatic ligation or a modification (205) that enables chemical ligation to the 5' end of an adjacent probe.

[0102] The first base of the second probe optionally contains a phosphate moiety for enzymatic ligation or a modification (206) that enables chemical ligation to the 5' end of an adjacent probe. The 15-30 bases from the 5' end of the second probe comprise the portion of the second probe that binds to the genetic target (204). The second probe further comprises a binding site for an amplification primer (223), a sequencing adapter sequence (224), an optional recognition site (225) for a restriction endonuclease or homing endonuclease such as EcoRI, and another sequencing adapter sequence (207). The last 15-25 bases of the second probe (207) are reverse complementary to a bridge oligo (208). Some or all of nucleotides 203, 204, 207, or 210 may contain chemical modifications that increase the affinity of the probe for the target or bridge oligo.

[0103] The first 15-25 bases from the 5' end of the bridge oligo (209) are reverse complementary to the bridge oligo-specific sequence of the first probe (210) and optionally contain chemically modified nucleotides to increase binding. The last 15-25 bases of the bridge oligo (208) are reverse complementary to the sequence of the second probe (207) and optionally contain chemically modified nucleotides to increase binding. The portion of the bridge oligo that is not reverse complementary to either end of the loop oligo (220) optionally contains a recognition site for a restriction endonuclease that enables enzymatic degradation of the non-loop-containing structure. The 5' end of the bridge oligo optionally contains a capture portion (211) used to capture the probe complex. Additionally, the bridge oligo contains sequences 214 and 216 that are complementary to sequences 213 and 215 of the loop oligo. The 3' end of the bridge oligo optionally contains a phosphate (or other cleavable) moiety (212) to prevent extension during gap filling.

[0104] The first 15-25 bases from the 5' end of loop oligo (215) are reverse complementary to bridge oligo sequence 216. The loop oligo optionally includes a loop region that includes a barcode (218). The last 15-25 bases of loop oligo (213) are reverse complementary to bridge oligo sequence 214.

Claims

1. 1. A method for high-throughput amplification and optional subsequent detection of one or more target nucleotide sequences in a plurality of samples, comprising: The method comprises: (i) for each target nucleotide sequence in each of said samples, providing a first probe, a second probe, at least one loop oligo, and a bridge oligo or a plurality of bridge oligonucleotides capable of annealing to said loop oligo to form a bridge oligo complex; the first probe comprises a first bridging oligo-specific sequence at a 5' end of the first probe, optionally a first sequence barcode, and a first target-specific portion at a 3' end of the first probe; the second probe comprises a second target-specific portion at the 5' end of the second probe, optionally a second sequence barcode, and a second bridging oligo-specific sequence at the 3' end of the second probe; the loop oligo comprises, starting from the 5' end of the molecule, a third bridge oligo-specific sequence, a loop sequence, and a fourth bridge oligo-specific sequence, the loop sequence optionally comprising a third sequence barcode, the loop sequence containing two sequences that can anneal to each other to form a double-stranded portion, the double-stranded portion comprising a recognition site for a nicking endonuclease; the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotides contain sequences complementary to the first and second bridge oligo-specific sequences in the first and second probes, respectively, and sequences complementary to the third and fourth bridge oligo-specific sequences in the loop oligo, and the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotides optionally comprise a fourth sequence barcode; at least one of a first sequence barcode, a second sequence barcode, a third sequence barcode, or a fourth sequence barcode is present; (ii) contacting, for each of said one or more target nucleotide sequences, said first probe and said second probe, preferably for each of said samples in separate tubes, with said bridging oligo or plurality of bridging oligonucleotides and optionally said loop oligo, and allowing self-annealing to a probe complex, wherein when said loop oligo is added, optionally further oligonucleotides complementary to said bridging oligo or said plurality of bridging oligonucleotides are included to fill single-stranded gaps, if present between said loop oligo and said first probe and / or between said loop oligo and said second probe; (ii) if said loop oligo was added in step (ii), optionally performing polymerase extension to fill in single-stranded gaps in said annealed probe complex, if present; (iib) optionally ligating the double-stranded portion of the probe complex if the loop oligo was added in step (ii); wherein step (iib) may be carried out simultaneously with step (iia); (iii) if the loop oligo was not added in step (ii), contacting nucleic acid present in each of the samples to be tested for the target nucleotide sequence with the probe complex and the loop oligo; (iv) hybridizing the first target-specific portion and the second target-specific portion of each of the first probe and the second probe to essentially adjacent portions on the target sequence, and, if the loop oligo was added in step (iii), hybridizing the loop oligo to the bridge oligo or bridge oligonucleotides, thereby forming a hybridization complex; (v) optionally pooling the hybridization complexes from the plurality of samples; (vi) ligating the probes in the hybridization complex to provide a ligated ligation complex; (vii) amplifying nucleic acid from one or more of the ligated ligation complexes using rolling circle amplification with a strand-displacing polymerase to allow annealing of two sequences in the loop sequence that are capable of annealing to each other, thereby obtaining a concatemeric molecule comprising a loop structure having a single-stranded portion and a double-stranded portion comprising the recognition site for a nicking endonuclease; (viii) nicking the double-stranded portion with a nicking endonuclease having specificity for the recognition site; (ix) performing a denaturation step such that the nicked concatemeric molecules are broken down into separate segments with complementary ends; (x) allowing intramolecular annealing of the complementary ends of the segments and intramolecularly ligating the separate segments, thereby obtaining a circular molecule; Optionally, performing the following additional steps: (xi) subjecting the circular molecule obtained in step (x) to a high-throughput sequencing technique to determine the barcode sequence; and (xii) identifying the presence and / or number of the target nucleotide sequences in the plurality of samples by determining at least a portion of the first target-specific portion and / or the second target-specific portion, and / or at least a portion of the first barcode and / or the second barcode, and / or at least a portion of the third barcode and / or at least a portion of the fourth barcode; Steps (v) and (vi) may be performed in any order; method.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising steps (xi) and (xii).

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the two sequences contained within the loop sequence that are capable of annealing to each other each have a length of at least 5 bases, such as at least 6, 7, 8, 9, or at least 10 bases, for example a length of 10 to 50 bases, such as 10 to 25 bases, or 10 to 15 bases.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the nicking endonuclease is Nb.BbvCI or Nb.BsrDI.

5. the bridge oligo or one or more of the bridge oligonucleotides comprises a plurality of universal base analogs in a region that is not complementary to the first probe, the second probe, or the loop oligo, that allows for the incorporation of random sequences suitable for use as molecular barcodes for target enumeration; 5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein as part of step (vi) a gap-filling step is carried out using a polymerase and nucleotides to generate such random sequences.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of universal base analogs is a plurality of 5-nitroindoles.

7. After step (v) and before step (vii), steps (a) and (b) are carried out; wherein step (a) comprises dissociating the ligated ligation complex from the target nucleotide sequence; and step (b) comprises adding a target-specific probe comprising a sequence corresponding to the target nucleotide sequence; wherein the target-specific probe is capable of annealing to the ligated ligation complex, allowing the target-specific probe to anneal to the ligated ligation complex, thereby forming an amplification template; In step (vii), the amplification template is amplified by rolling circle amplification with a strand-displacing polymerase. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. at least one of the first probe, the second probe, the loop oligo, the bridge oligo, or the oligonucleotides of the plurality of bridge oligonucleotides comprises a first capture moiety; 8. The method of claim 1, wherein between steps (iv) and (v) an intermediate step (iv)(a) is carried out, comprising contacting the hybridization complex with a solid support comprising a second capture moiety, allowing the first capture moiety and the second capture moiety to interact such that the hybridization complex becomes linked to the solid support, and separating the hybridization complex linked to the solid support from components of the sample that are not linked to the solid support.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of samples comprises blood samples, saliva samples, urine samples, or fecal samples.

10. the bridge oligo or oligonucleotides of the plurality of bridge oligonucleotides (i) 1 to 5 3' overhanging bases, and / or (ii) a 3' phosphate, and / or (iii) one or more phosphorothioate modifications within the third position from the 3' end, and / or (iv) another modification that protects the bridge from exonuclease activity and / or prevents amplification from the 3' end; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising:

11. 11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein one or more of the oligonucleotides: the first probe, the second probe, the loop oligo, the bridge oligo, or the plurality of bridge oligonucleotides are modified to allow for chemical ligation.

12. 12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the bridging portion of the first probe or the second probe, or both, or the oligonucleotide of the loop oligo, the bridge oligo, or the plurality of bridge oligonucleotides comprises a chemically modified base that allows for improved binding to the bridge oligo or bridge oligo complex.

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first target-specific portion, the second target-specific portion, the first bridging oligo-specific sequence, and / or the second bridging oligo-specific sequence independently contain one or more chemically modified nucleotides.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the bridge oligo or an oligonucleotide of the plurality of bridge oligonucleotides comprises one or more chemically modified nucleotides.

15. The method of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein step (vii) is carried out using phi29 polymerase or Bst polymerase.

16. 16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein gene target counting is enabled by counting the number of molecular barcodes per target and per sample.

17. 17. The method of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein in the case of more than one sample, or more than one locus / allele combination, barcode sequences are used to genotype the samples for one or more sequences and / or polymorphisms such as SNPs and / or indels.

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