Digital counting of individual molecules by stochastic attachment of diverse labels
First Claim
1. A method for obtaining clonal populations derived from a first target molecule and a second target molecule in a sample comprising:
- (a) attaching by a random manner to each of a plurality of occurrences of a first target molecule and a second target molecule a label from a set of diverse labels, wherein the set comprises labels with m different label sequences, thereby generating for each of the plurality of occurrences of the first target molecule and the second target molecule, a labeled first molecule and a labeled second molecule, respectively,wherein each of the labeled first molecule and the labeled second molecule comprises a copy of the first target molecule and a copy of the second target molecule, respectively, and a label sequence,wherein more than 90% of the labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules have a label sequence that is different from the label sequences on the other labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules, respectively,wherein n1 and n2 are numbers of occurrences of the first target molecule and the second target molecule, respectively, andwherein the ratio of the greater of n1 and n2 to m is smaller than 0.2;
(b) amplifying the labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules to create a plurality of first clonal populations and a plurality of second clonal populations, respectively, wherein a first clonal population of the plurality of first clonal populations comprises copies of the first target molecule with a first identical label sequence, and wherein a second clonal population of the plurality of second clonal populations comprises copies of the second target molecule with a second identical label sequence; and
(c) detecting the label sequences present on the plurality of first clonal populations and the plurality of second clonal populations, thereby detecting the label sequences present on the labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules.
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Abstract
Compositions, methods and kits are disclosed for high-sensitivity single molecule digital counting by the stochastic labeling of a collection of identical molecules by attachment of a diverse set of labels. Each copy of a molecule randomly chooses from a non-depleting reservoir of diverse labels. Detection may be by a variety of methods including hybridization based or sequencing. Molecules that would otherwise be identical in information content can be labeled to create a separately detectable product that is unique or approximately unique in a collection. This stochastic transformation relaxes the problem of counting molecules from one of locating and identifying identical molecules to a series of binary digital questions detecting whether preprogrammed labels are present. The methods may be used, for example, to estimate the number of separate molecules of a given type or types within a sample.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for obtaining clonal populations derived from a first target molecule and a second target molecule in a sample comprising:
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(a) attaching by a random manner to each of a plurality of occurrences of a first target molecule and a second target molecule a label from a set of diverse labels, wherein the set comprises labels with m different label sequences, thereby generating for each of the plurality of occurrences of the first target molecule and the second target molecule, a labeled first molecule and a labeled second molecule, respectively, wherein each of the labeled first molecule and the labeled second molecule comprises a copy of the first target molecule and a copy of the second target molecule, respectively, and a label sequence, wherein more than 90% of the labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules have a label sequence that is different from the label sequences on the other labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules, respectively, wherein n1 and n2 are numbers of occurrences of the first target molecule and the second target molecule, respectively, and wherein the ratio of the greater of n1 and n2 to m is smaller than 0.2; (b) amplifying the labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules to create a plurality of first clonal populations and a plurality of second clonal populations, respectively, wherein a first clonal population of the plurality of first clonal populations comprises copies of the first target molecule with a first identical label sequence, and wherein a second clonal population of the plurality of second clonal populations comprises copies of the second target molecule with a second identical label sequence; and (c) detecting the label sequences present on the plurality of first clonal populations and the plurality of second clonal populations, thereby detecting the label sequences present on the labeled first molecules and the labeled second molecules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification