Site-specific gene expression analysis using an automated tissue micro-dissection punching system

Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 28;7(1):4325. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-04616-6.

Abstract

Site-specific gene expression analyses are important for understanding tissue functions. Despite rapid developments in DNA-related technologies, the site-specific analysis of whole genome expression for a tissue remains challenging. Thus, a new tool is required for capturing multiple tissue micro-dissections or single cells while retaining the positional information. Here, we describe the development of such a system, which can pick up micro-dissections by punching a tissue repeatedly in a very short period, e.g., 5 s/sampling cycle. A photo of the punched tissue provides information on the dissected positions, allowing site-specific gene expression analysis. We demonstrate the site-specific analysis of a frozen tissue slice of mouse brain by analyzing many micro-dissections produced from the tissue at a 300-μm pitch. The site-specific analysis provided new insights into the gene expression profiles in a tissue and on tissue functions. The analysis of site-specific whole genome expression may therefore, open new avenues in life science.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Automation
  • Gene Expression Profiling* / instrumentation
  • Gene Expression Profiling* / methods
  • Mice
  • Microdissection* / instrumentation
  • Microdissection* / methods
  • Organ Specificity
  • Single-Cell Analysis
  • Transcriptome*