Spatially exploring RNA biology in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues
Zhiliang Bai, Dingyao Zhang, Yan Gao, Bo Tao, Daiwei Zhang, Shuozhen Bao, Archibald Enninful, Yadong Wang, Haikuo Li, Graham Su, Xiaolong Tian, Ningning Zhang, Yang Xiao, Yang Liu, Mark Gerstein, Mingyao Li, Yi Xing, Jun Lü, Mina L. Xu, Rong Fan
Abstract
The capability to spatially explore RNA biology in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues holds transformative potential for histopathology research. Here, we present pathology-compatible deterministic barcoding in tissue (Patho-DBiT) by combining in situ polyadenylation and computational innovation for spatial whole transcriptome sequencing, tailored to probe the diverse RNA species in clinically archived FFPE samples. It permits spatial co-profiling of gene expression and RNA processing, unveiling region-specific splicing isoforms, and high-sensitivity transcriptomic mapping of clinical tumor FFPE tissues stored for 5 years. Furthermore, genome-wide single-nucleotide RNA variants can be captured to distinguish malignant subclones from non-malignant cells in human lymphomas. Patho-DBiT also maps microRNA regulatory networks and RNA splicing dynamics, decoding their roles in spatial tumorigenesis. Single-cell level Patho-DBiT dissects the spatiotemporal cellular dynamics driving tumor clonal architecture and progression. Patho-DBiT stands poised as a valuable platform to unravel rich RNA biology in FFPE tissues to aid in clinical pathology evaluation.