Single-stranded DNA library preparation uncovers the origin and diversity of ultrashort cell-free DNA in plasma.

ABSTRACT: Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is emerging as a powerful monitoring tool in cancer, pregnancy and organ transplantation. Nucleosomal DNA, the predominant form of plasma cfDNA, can be adapted for sequencing via ligation of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) adapters. dsDNA library preparations, however, are insensitive to ultrashort, degraded cfDNA. Drawing inspiration from advances in paleogenomics, we have applied a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) library preparation method to sequencing of cfDNA in the plasma of lung transplant recipients (40 samples, six patients). We found that ssDNA library preparation yields a greater portion of sub-100 bp nuclear genomic cfDNA (p 10(-5), Mann-Whitney U Test), and an increased relative abundance of mitochondrial (10.7x, p 10(-5)) and microbial cfDNA (71.3x,

SUBMITTER: Burnham P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4906518 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature