Fig. 4: Expression of AR-FL, AR-V7, and AR-v567es in single CTCs and organoids from patients with mCRPC and NEPC.

a Single CTCs were isolated from three patients with mCRPC (A, B, C) and b two patients with NEPC (D, E) and processed for quantification of each AR transcript by ddPCR. Big circles represent individual patients and small circles represent single CTCs. (For patient A: we have single 81 CTCs, for patient B we have 33 CTCs, for patient C we have 45 CTCs, for patient D we have 18 CTCs and for patient E we have 33 CTCs). The total CTCs isolated from each patient were divided into three equally sized groups and each group was tested for only one of the three transcripts (For example, for patient A, we analyzed 27 single CTC for the expression of AR-FL, 27 single CTCs for the expression of AR-V7 and 27 single CTCs for the expression of AR-v567es). Colored small circles for each transcript represent positive expression, while white circles represent CTCs negative for the respective transcript. The CTCs positive for AR-FL shown in red circles; AR-V7, green circles; and AR-v567es, blue circles. c Prevalence of each transcript across in single CTCs from patients with CRPC vs. NEPC. Statistical significance was determined using two-tailed Fisher Exact test, n.s.; not significant for AR-FL+ and AR-V7+; p = 0.0002 in AR-v567es+ CTCs. d Table shows expression levels for each transcript in four patient-derived NEPC organoids. Data displayed in a doughnut format for three of the four organoids offer a visual display of relative transcript abundance. Transcript color coding as indicated. Data shown are copies per sample normalized to input RNA and internal loading control.