GlycoRNA Blotting
Lectin-based detection of the glycoRNA population: how much glycosylated signal a sample carries, and at which molecular sizes.
01What the service reports
GlycoRNA Blotting detects endogenous glycoRNAs after RNA separation and membrane transfer, using lectins that bind the glycan. The readout is the glycoRNA population of the sample: overall abundance and molecular-size pattern.
Because lectins recognise the glycan rather than the RNA sequence, the assay does not depend on artificial metabolic labeling such as Ac4ManNAz, and it avoids the prolonged metabolic incubation that labeling requires.
The blot answers a population question rather than a target-list question. It shows what glycosylated signal is present as a class and at which sizes, which is useful both as a standalone check and beside array or sequencing results on matched material.
02Benefits
- Native-state detection: endogenous glycoRNA is detected without artificial metabolic labeling.
- No labeling step: the workflow omits prolonged metabolic incubation and complex labeling procedures.
- Size information: the blot shows molecular-size patterns, not only intensity.
- Broad sample compatibility: cultured cells, tissues and biofluids.
- Population-level readout: no candidate molecule has to be chosen first.
| Service Name | RNA Class | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GlycoRNA Blotting | Total RNA (human / mouse / rat) |
03Background and use
After RNA is separated by size and transferred, lectin probing reports where glycan signal sits in the size distribution. That pattern is often the quickest way to see whether a sample carries glycoRNA at all and whether the population looks comparable between samples.
Blotting is complementary to the other two routes. The array ranks panel targets; sequencing names species in a length class; blotting shows the population and size pattern of the glycoRNA signal as a whole.
04Workflow
From sample to population pattern:
- RNA extraction from the sample.
- Gel electrophoresis to separate the RNA by size.
- Transfer to a membrane and crosslinking.
- Lectin probing of the glycan.
- Signal detection and comparison between samples.
05Analysis and deliverables
Images and densitometry notes describe abundance and molecular-size patterns so samples can be compared side by side.
Deliverables
- Blot images for the sample set
- Molecular-size pattern notes
- Comparative summary across samples or conditions
- Structured project report
06Research applications
- Presence and scale: does the sample carry a glycoRNA population, and at which sizes.
- Sample comparison: how the population pattern shifts with condition.
- Orthogonal check: a direct look at the population beside array or sequencing data.
07Sample requirements
Total RNA is the accepted input. Cultured cells, tissues and biofluids are workable starting material.
| Sample type | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total RNA | OD 260/280 ≥ 1.8 and RIN ≥ 7, with no visible degradation. Submit at least 15 µg total RNA. |
| Cultured cells | Cell pellets are preferred. |
| Tissue | Fresh or frozen specimens; avoid necrotic material. |
| Whole blood | EDTA tubes only; heparin is not compatible with the downstream procedure. |
08FAQ
Why use lectins instead of metabolic labeling?
Lectins bind the glycan directly, so endogenous glycoRNA can be detected without Ac4ManNAz-style labeling and without the long metabolic incubation that labeling workflows need.
What does the blot show that sequencing does not?
A size-resolved view of the glycoRNA population as a class. It is not a species inventory; it is how much signal is present and at which molecular sizes.
Does this report single molecules?
No. The readout is the glycoRNA population of the sample. Species identity comes from GlycoRNA Sequencing; panel ranking comes from GlycoRNA Array.
Which research questions fit this readout?
Whether a sample carries glycoRNA, how abundant that population looks, and how the size pattern changes across conditions.
When is blotting enough on its own?
When the question is presence, scale and size pattern of the population. Move to array or sequencing when specific molecules or panel targets must be named.
09References
- Internal service overview: GlycoRNA Blotting — lectin-based detection of the glycoRNA population.