Open AccessUltra-precise quantification of mRNA targets across a broad dynamic range with nanoreactor beads
Author(s) -
Ivan F. Lončarević,
Susanne Toepfer,
Stephan Hubold,
Susanne Klingner,
Lea Kanitz,
Thomas Ellinger,
Katrin Steinmetzer,
Thomas Ernst,
Andreas Hochhaus,
Eugen Ermantraut
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0242529
Subject(s) - digital polymerase chain reaction , nanoreactor , microfluidics , dynamic range , computational biology , biology , nanotechnology , materials science , computer science , polymerase chain reaction , gene , genetics , computer vision , nanoparticle
Precise quantification of molecular targets in a biological sample across a wide dynamic range is a key requirement in many diagnostic procedures, such as monitoring response to therapy or detection of measurable residual disease. State of the art digital PCR assays provide for a dynamic range of four orders of magnitude. However digital assays are complex and require sophisticated microfluidic tools. Here we present an assay format that enables ultra-precise quantification of RNA targets in a single measurement across a dynamic range of more than six orders of magnitude. The approach is based on hydrogel beads that provide for microfluidic free compartmentalization of the sample as they are used as nanoreactors for reverse transcription, PCR amplification and combined real time and digital detection of gene transcripts. We have applied these nanoreactor beads for establishing an assay for the detection and quantification of BCR-ABL1 fusion transcripts. The assay has been characterized for its precision and linear dynamic range. A comparison of the new method against conventional real time RT-PCR analysis (reference method) with clinical samples from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) revealed excellent concordance with Pearsons correlation coefficient of 0.983 and slope of 1.08.