High-throughput SuperSAGE for digital gene expression analysis of multiple samples using Next Generation Sequencing

We established a protocol of the SuperSAGE technology combined with next-generation sequencing, coined “High-Throughput (HT-) SuperSAGE”. SuperSAGE is a method of digital gene expression profiling that allows isolation of 26-bp tag fragments from expressed transcripts. In the present protocol, index (barcode) sequences are employed to discriminate tags from different samples. Such barcodes permit to enable researchers to analyze digital tags from many transcriptomes of many samples in a single sequencing run by simply pooling the libraries. Here, we demonstrated that HT-SuperSAGE provided highly sensitive, reproducible and accurate digital gene expression data. By increasing throughput for analysis in HT-SuperSAGE, various applications were expected and several examples of its applications were introduced in the present study, including analyses of laser-microdissected cells, biological replicates or tag extraction using different anchoring enzymes. 27 different tissue samples from three different life organisms were analyzed. About 2 samples, three different anchoring enzymes were employed.