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Critical Steps within the Protocol
For the miRNA assay in particular, it is critical not to use unpurified lysates (these can be used in mRNA and protein assays), as the reagents have not been optimized for use with lysates, and sample preparation reactions are likely to be inhibited. Additionally, contaminants carried over from lysis and RNA purification steps (e.g., guanidinium compounds, ethanol, and phenols) can inhibit ligation and sample purification reactions. Good-quality RNA is therefore critical to the sensitivity and accuracy of the miRNA assay.
Using a thermocycler with a heated lid is critical to ensure proper temperature control to optimize the performance of all reaction steps. During step 3.5.1, it is important not to remove the strips from the thermocycler in order to maintain the temperature during the addition of the ligase. Removing the strips to add the ligase will compromise the reaction. When performing the hybridization steps, it is critical to avoid vigorous shaking, pipetting, or flicking when mixing reagents in the tubes, as this may shear the reporter probes. To ensure optimal performance and consistency, it is important to thoroughly mix reagents in the tubes by gentle flicking. Always spin down reactions after mixing, and use a new pipette tip each time a reagent is dispensed to ensure accurate pipetting and to avoid accidental cross-contamination.
Modifications and Troubleshooting
The code sets can be customized to include only targets of interest. In this way, costs can be balanced to allow for the testing of large sample sets when further investigating or validating a bio-signature. Custom probes can be designed for genes or targets not available from the a la carte menu. Sensitivity for less-abundant targets or low-concentration RNA can be manipulated by allowing for a longer hybridization time and/or by using higher-resolution digital counting.
In our study we used the predefined 800 target miRNA panel with total RNA from whole blood; however, the assays can be customized to include fewer miRNAs if a more targeted approach is needed. A total of 24 samples can be prepared on a single day, staggered in two sets of 12, because two cartridges can comfortably be passed through post-hybridization processing on the robotic prep station and imaged on the digital analyzer the next day. Staggered processing of the samples in batches of 12 is important to standardize the hybridization time. Cartridges that have been imaged can be saved and stored at 4 oC to be rescanned if data analyses suggest that a higher resolution scan may improve the detection of rarer miRNAs. Detection of rarer molecules may also be improved by hybridizing samples for longer; however, prolonged hybridization may result in oversaturation and may only improve results if the starting RNA concentrations are low (as in extracellular vesicle-derived RNA). The platform's sensitivity and precision allow relatively low-abundance miRNAs to be reliably counted.
Limitations of the Technique
The described gene expression assay platform only accommodates up to 800 targets per array. It is therefore not suited for whole miRNA-transcriptome/whole transcriptome studies. Only known, described, and specified targets can be detected using the platform, so it is not suited to the discovery of new molecular species. Other methods, such as RNASeq or other traditional microarray methods, are more suited to whole transcriptome exploratory studies.
Significance of the Technique with Respect to Existing/Alternative Methods
IBS is characterized by a combination of symptoms, principally including abdominal pain; visceral hypersensitivity; and changes in bowel habits, such as frequent diarrhea, constipation, or a combination of both9,10. IBS symptoms have no known organic cause, and patients do not present with clinically significant inflammation, histopathological perturbations of gastrointestinal tissues, or systemic markers9-12. Research suggests that biological dysregulation in IBS is subtle, subclinical, and heterogeneous, with common themes emerging around inflammation and immune function10. Therefore, we needed to control experimenter-introduced variation and use a platform that was capable of reliably detecting subtle perturbations in gene expression. The unique attributes of the assay and system standardize sample processing and reduce experimenter handling through automation, reducing technical variance to produce highly reproducible data. These features allow for focused investigations and produce highly precise and replicable data. This allows for the detection of subtle perturbations and perturbations among low-expression targets that may be overlooked or swamped by the signals of more abundant targets when using intensity- or amplification-based methods. PCR-based microarrays and RNAseq methods are viable alternatives to using the described platform and may be attractive as alternative when higher throughputs are required or when the aim is to characterize the whole transcriptome or to look for novel molecules. However, alternatives may not perform as well in accurately and sensitively detecting and quantitating rare targets and subtle perturbations.
Future Applications or Directions after Mastering this Technique
Circulating miRNA expression in IBS participants showed a number of perturbations that were found to be both significant and consistent within categories. The identified miRNAs were associated with relevant pathways and pathological conditions, including a functional pain condition (miR-342-3p: chronic bladder pain)8 and inflammation (miR-150)13. The example study was based on an exploratory cohort used to define targets and systems of interest. A more targeted, smaller miRNA array was then constructed, lowering the per sample cost and allowing for much larger cohorts to be analyzed in a cost-effective manner in order to validate and refine signatures and biomarkers. The gene expression platform assay system strikes a balance between the traditional exploratory nature of the microarray and more targeted, hypothesis-driven data collection to refine and test molecular signatures and biomarkers14-16. The method will be used to examine molecular and protein perturbations in in vivo and in vitro models where the described target miRNAs are experimentally over-expressed or inhibited. New assays allow for the simultaneous quantification of mRNAs and proteins directly from cell and tissue lysates. Furthermore, by optimizing the purification of specific fractions of peripheral blood and excreta (e.g., urine) and by customizing and optimizing certain assay parameters, molecular profiles and signatures of low molecular concentration fractions (e.g., exosomal fractions) will be examined.