Single-cell RNA-seq: advances and future challenges

Phenotypically identical cells can dramatically vary with respect to behavior during their lifespan and this variation is reflected in their molecular composition such as the transcriptomic landscape. Single-cell transcriptomics using next-generation transcript sequencing (RNA-seq) is now emerging a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nucleic acids research 2014-08, Vol.42 (14), p.8845-8860
Main Authors: Saliba, Antoine-Emmanuel, Westermann, Alexander J, Gorski, Stanislaw A, Vogel, Jörg
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cell Separation
Gene Expression Profiling - methods
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing - methods
Sequence Analysis, RNA - methods
Single-Cell Analysis - methods
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Summary:Phenotypically identical cells can dramatically vary with respect to behavior during their lifespan and this variation is reflected in their molecular composition such as the transcriptomic landscape. Single-cell transcriptomics using next-generation transcript sequencing (RNA-seq) is now emerging as a powerful tool to profile cell-to-cell variability on a genomic scale. Its application has already greatly impacted our conceptual understanding of diverse biological processes with broad implications for both basic and clinical research. Different single-cell RNA-seq protocols have been introduced and are reviewed here-each one with its own strengths and current limitations. We further provide an overview of the biological questions single-cell RNA-seq has been used to address, the major findings obtained from such studies, and current challenges and expected future developments in this booming field.
ISSN:0305-1048
1362-4962
DOI:10.1093/nar/gku555