Reviving the Transcriptome Studies: An Insight Into the Emergence of Single-Molecule Transcriptome Sequencing

Area of Science:

• Genomics and Transcriptomics
• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• RNA-Seq, a high-throughput sequencing technology, has advanced transcriptome analysis but faces challenges in full-length transcript identification due to read length limitations.
• Genetic variability studies benefit from transcriptomics, but accurate identification of transcript structures remains a hurdle.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the single-molecule sequencing (SMS) platform and its applications in transcriptome studies.
• To highlight the advantages of SMS for comprehensive genome annotation, including novel gene and isoform discovery.
• To discuss the challenges associated with using SMS for transcriptome analysis.

Main Methods:

• Review of single-molecule sequencing (SMS) technologies, particularly from PacBio.
• Analysis of existing literature on SMS applications in transcriptome studies across various species.
• Discussion of the technical aspects and limitations of SMS in transcript structure identification.

Main Results:

• SMS enables the identification of novel genes, isoforms, long non-coding RNAs, and fusion transcripts.
• This technology provides a more comprehensive genome annotation compared to traditional methods.
• SMS facilitates the interpretation of coding information and the study of biological functions.

Conclusions:

• Single-molecule sequencing is a valuable tool for advancing transcriptomics and genome annotation.
• SMS overcomes key limitations of previous sequencing technologies for full-length transcript identification.
• Further research and development are needed to address the challenges in SMS-based transcriptome studies.