MicroSAGE is highly representative and reproducible but reveals major differences in gene expression among samples obtained from similar tissues.
BACKGROUND
Serial analysis of gene expression using small amounts of starting material (microSAGE) has not yet been conclusively shown to be representative, reproducible or accurate.


RESULTS
We show that microSAGE is highly representative, reproducible and accurate, but that pronounced differences in gene expression are seen between tissue samples taken from different individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
MicroSAGE is a reliable method of comprehensively profiling differences in gene expression among samples, but care should be taken in generalizing results obtained from libraries constructed from tissue obtained from different individuals and/or processed or stored differently.
Blackshaw
Seth
S
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Kuo
Winston P
WP
Park
Peter J
PJ
Tsujikawa
Motokazu
M
Gunnersen
Jenny M
JM
Scott
Hamish S
HS
Boon
Wee-Ming
WM
Tan
Seong-Seng
SS
Cepko
Constance L
CL
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D039301:Computers, Molecular; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D015723:Gene Library; D018816:Genes, cdc; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D012160:Retina / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors