DETECTION METHOD FOR TARGET ecDNA AND DETECTION KIT FOR TARGET ecDNA

1 . A method of detecting a target ecDNA in a sample containing DNA, the method comprising:

(a) subjecting the DNA in the sample to a treatment of sequence-specifically cleaving a third sequence present between a first sequence and a second sequence in a target nucleotide sequence included in the target ecDNA;

(b) separating the sample after (a) into a plurality of compartments; and

(c) detecting a compartment containing DNA having both the first sequence and the second sequence in the plurality of compartments after (b).

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein (a) is carried out by using a guide RNA and an RNA-induced nuclease that targets the third sequence.

3 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein (c) includes carrying out a nucleic acid amplification reaction for a region containing the first sequence and a nucleic acid amplification reaction for a region containing the second sequence.

4 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in (c), a compartment containing DNA that has both the first sequence and the second sequence but does not have the third sequence which is uncleaved is detected.

5 . The method according to claim 4 ,

wherein (c) includes carrying out a nucleic acid amplification reaction for a region containing the first sequence, a nucleic acid amplification reaction for a region containing the second sequence, and a nucleic acid amplification reaction for a region containing the third sequence.

6 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein (b) is carried out so that one molecule or fewer of DNA is distributed in one compartment.

7 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the target nucleotide sequence is a nucleotide sequence included in a cancer gene.

8 . The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein (b) and (c) are carried out by digital PCR.

9 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in (c), a first fluorescent dye is used to detect a compartment having the first sequence, and a second fluorescent dye is used to detect a compartment having the second sequence.

10 . The method according to claim 4 ,

wherein in (c), a third fluorescent dye is used to detect a compartment having the third sequence.

11 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

(d) excluding a compartment containing at least two molecules of DNAs from the compartment detected in (c), where the two molecules of DNAs are a DNA including the first sequence and a DNA including the second sequence.

12 . The method according to claim 11 ,

wherein (d) is carried out using the following numerical expressions (i) and (ii),

{

p

+

N

⁡

(

A

)

}

⁢

{

p

+

N

⁡

(

C

)

}

N

⁡

(

U

)

=

p

.

(

i

)

q

=

N

⁡

(

E

)

-

p

(

ii

)

wherein, p is the number of compartments which are assumed to contain at least two molecules of DNAs, which are a DNA having the first sequence and a DNA having the second sequence, N(A) is the number of compartments in which only the first sequence is detected, N(C) is the number of compartments in which only the second sequence is detected, N(U) is the number of all compartments in (b), q is the number of compartments containing the target ecDNA, and N(E) is the number of compartments in which the first sequence and the second sequence have been detected but the third sequence has not been detected.

13 . A kit for detecting a target ecDNA including a target nucleotide sequence in a sample containing DNA, the kit comprising:

(a) a cleaving reagent for sequence-specifically cleaving a third sequence present between a first sequence and a second sequence in the target nucleotide sequence;

(b) a detection reagent for the first sequence; and

(c) a detection reagent for the second sequence.

14 . The kit according to claim 13 ,

wherein the cleaving reagent in (a) described above contains a guide RNA and an RNA-induced nuclease that targets the third sequence.

15 . The kit according to claim 13 , further comprising:

(d) a detection reagent for the third sequence.