Methods of enriching nucleic acids

Samenvatting

Nucleotide sequences of interest, which may be as yet unknown sequences, comprised in a biological sample may often be present in diminishingly small amounts, meaning there are difficulties in detecting, sequencing and identifying these sequences. A method of enrichment of the sequences of interest prior to sequencing of a sample overcomes the problem. In such a method a library of nucleic acid guides is generated from a portion of the sample itself, and the guides are used with a guide-dependent endonuclease such as an Argonaute, usually a prokaryotic Argonaute (pAgo) in a reaction which cleaves the nucleic acids recognised by the guides in another portion of the same sample, but which spares the low abundance sequences for which no guides have been generated. In this way a sample enriched for rarer or low abundance sequences is provided and used in subsequent steps of detection of sequences present, including sequencing of the enriched sample. The method has wide range of application in scientific research of all kinds and forensics where is it necessary to detection and/or sequencing of these