At the beginning of 2024, Lexogen celebrated the 10th anniversary of QuantSeq, its flagship product for 3′ mRNA sequencing library generation. This technology is trusted amongst researchers, evidenced by it being featured in over 1600 publications since its debut in 2014. QuantSeq’s key features are its cost-effectiveness, reliability, and ease of use, making it a favoured choice for gene expression analysis. The QuantSeq product line includes QuantSeq FWD for gene expression profiling, QuantSeq REV for studying alternative polyadenylation, QuantSeq-Pool for large screening projects, and QuantSeq FLEX for generating targeted RNA-Seq libraries from any RNA sample using custom primers.
Highlights from QuantSeq's Journey
2016: Alternative Polyadenylation (APA)
One of the early notable studies using QuantSeq explored APA in mammalian genes, revealing that over 70% of these genes undergo APA, affecting mRNA maturation and gene regulation. The study compared APA divergence between two mouse strains, using QuantSeq to quantify APA usage.
2017: Alzheimer's disease research
Using QuantSeq, Alzheimer’s research from Washington University identified distinct transcriptomic profiles in mutation carriers of the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes, providing insights into gene regulatory networks involved in the disease.
2018: Lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis studies
Research from the National Cancer Institute on APA in lung cancer showed how smoking influences differential polyadenylation site usage within mRNA transcripts. QuantSeq REV was used for 3′ UTR mRNA-Seq. Additionally, a study on pulmonary fibrosis utilised scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq with QuantSeq FWD to understand cell heterogeneity and disease-related changes in lung tissue.
2019: Automation and cancer research
QuantSeq was successfully implemented on various automation platforms, aiding in large-scale studies. Automated 3′ UTR-Seq library preparation was shown to be effective in scaling up gene expression studies. In the area of cancer research, technologies for the preparation of libraries from fresh-frozen and FFPE cancer tissues were compared, demonstrating QuantSeq's efficiency in gene expression analysis from FFPE samples.
2020: Transcriptional regulation by Mediator complex
A publication in Nature Genetics used QuantSeq to study the human Mediator complex's role in transcriptional regulation. The Mediator complex is a global transcriptional regulator that interacts with RNA polymerase II to activate target genes. By rapidly degrading Mediator subunits, researchers captured transcriptional fingerprints, showing how Mediator facilitates transcription and is crucial for specific gene regulatory circuits.
2021: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and RNA binding protein research
A study in Cell explored the role of RNA binding protein TDP-43 in ALS, using QuantSeq to show that TDP-43 condensation affects its assembly on RNA targets. This research contributed to understanding ALS pathogenesis.
2022: Astrocyte reactivity in central nervous system (CNS) inflammation
Research published in 2022 used CRISPR interference and single-cell transcriptomics to study inflammatory astrocyte reactivity in the CNS. The study identified distinct inflammatory signatures modulated by STAT3, using QuantSeq for bulk RNA-Seq library preparation.
2023: RNA and protein subcellular localisation
A significant 2023 study combined multi-omics technologies to map RNA and protein subcellular localisation. The study used various Lexogen products, including QuantSeq, to analyse transcriptome and proteome reorganisation during the unfolded protein response.
Lexogen's Continuous Innovation
Lexogen has established itself as a leader in the RNA sequencing market through its innovative QuantSeq range. The QuantSeq kits are designed for rapid and accurate generation of sequencing-ready libraries from RNA, offering researchers an efficient tool for gene expression analysis. With a streamlined protocol that uses 3’ mRNA sequencing technology to significantly reduce hands-on time and minimise biases, QuantSeq ensures high-quality data, making it ideal for both large-scale and targeted RNA sequencing projects. Lexogen's dedication to precision, reliability and support of the scientific community is evident in the QuantSeq range, which supports groundbreaking research in genomics by providing robust, reproducible results. As the demand for detailed gene expression profiling grows, Lexogen's QuantSeq range remains at the forefront of driving scientific progress and enhancing the capabilities of genomic research.
If you would like to try out Lexogen's QuantSeq kits for your research, contact our Lexogen specialists.
This article was inspired by Lexogen's original article.