Low-cost and Multiplexable Whole mRNA-Seq Library Preparation Method with Oligo-dT Magnetic Beads for Illumina Sequencing Platforms

Abstract

RNA-Seq is a powerful method for transcriptome analysis used in varied field of biology. Although several commercial products and hand-made protocols enable us to prepare RNA-Seq library from total RNA, their cost are still expensive. Here, we established a low-cost and multiplexable whole mRNA-Seq library preparation method for illumine sequencers. In order to reduce cost, we used cost-effective and robust commercial regents with small reaction volumes. This method is a whole mRNA-Seq, which can be applied even to non-model organisms lacking the transcriptome references. In addition, we designed large number of 3′ PCR primer including 8 nucleotides barcode sequences for multiplexing up to three hundreds samples. To summarize, it is possible with this protocol to prepare 96 directional RNA-Seq libraries from purified total RNA in three days and can be pooled for up to three hundred libraries. This is beneficial for large scale transcriptome analysis in many fields of animals and plant biology.