Gain genetic-level insights into the BCR and TCR repertoire with immune profiling
Immune repertoire sequencing (IR-Seq) uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) to profile the diversity of B-cell receptors (BCRs) and T-cell receptors (TCRs).1 IR-Seq enables researchers to characterize repertoire diversity and clonality, and investigate receptor sequences associated with hematological malignancies, autoimmune disorders, and other conditions.2 IR-Seq provides the throughput and sensitivity needed to analyze BCRs and TCRs at high resolution, enabling insights into adaptive immunity in health and disease.
The immune repertoire of BCR and TCR sequences is dynamic in response to infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. The repertoire of circulating antigen receptors shifts from a diverse pool to one that is dominated by expanded, antigen-specific clones during an immune response. Therefore, understanding the composition of the immune repertoire is essential for deepening our understanding of immune-mediated diseases and informing therapeutic development.3
The adaptive immune system is primarily composed of two major lymphocyte types: T cells and B cells. These immune cells are critical for providing protection from pathogens through a genetic recombination process that generates a highly diverse repertoire of antigen receptors.4 When an antigen receptor recognizes a target pathogen, a series of events takes place to amplify that receptor and recruit additional immune cells to eliminate the infection.
Functional BCRs and TCRs are created through V(D)J recombination, where variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) gene segments are stochastically recombined. This process produces a highly diverse population of BCRs and TCRs in healthy individuals. The complete collection of BCRs and TCRs, the BCR repertoire and TCR repertoire, constitutes the immune repertoire.5
Representation of TCR-β V(D)J gene recombination. The TCR-β locus, located on chromosome 7, spans approximately 620 kb. During V(D)J recombination, one of two D regions is randomly joined with one of 13 J regions. This is followed by the addition of one of more than 50 randomly selected V regions, yielding a final VDJ region that is approximately 500 bps. The mechanism by which gene segments are joined also introduces base pair variability, which, together with the combinatorial selection of these segments, results in TCR diversity. An analogous process occurs for the TCR α chain, which lacks the D segment. CDR = complementarity-determining region.
Discover tested third-party library prep kits and explore our sequencing systems to identify the best solutions for your IR-Seq workflow.
The choice of an immune repertoire library solution depends on various factors such as input, methodology, regions sequenced, and chain type. Select a tested third-party library preparation kit for your IR-Seq application needs.
| Resolution and regions sequenced | Provider and kit name | Targeted receptors | Sequencing read length recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk RNA-Seq CDR3/full-length |
New England Biolabs NEBNext Immune Sequencing Kit (Human) (E6320S, E6320L) |
BCR, TCR or, BCR + TCR |
2 × 300 bp |
| Bulk RNA-Seq CDR3/full-length |
New England Biolabs NEBNext Immune Sequencing Kit (Mouse) (E6330S, E6330L) |
BCR, TCR or, BCR + TCR |
2 × 300 bp |
| Bulk RNA-Seq CDR3/full-length |
QIAGEN QIAseq Immune Repertoire RNA Library Kit (333705) |
TCR | 2 × 300 bp |
| Bulk RNA-Seq CDR3/full-length |
Takara SMART-Seq Human TCR (with UMIs) (634780, 634781, 634779) |
TCR | 2 × 300 bp |
| Bulk RNA-Seq CDR3/full-length |
Takara SMART-Seq Human BCR (with UMIs) (634777, 634778, 634776) |
BCR | 2 × 300 bp |
| Single cell CDR3/full-length |
BD Bio BD Rhapsody TCR/BCR Multiomic Assay Kit (665828, 665829) |
BCR, TCR or, BCR + TCR |
85 × 215 bpb or 2 × 300 bp |
The MiSeq i100 Series offers 10 different reagent configurations. These configuration options include IR-Seq, with read lengths up to 2 × 300 bp, that supports an output range of 5 million to 100 million reads and 1.5 Gb–30 Gb. This expanded capacity allows researchers to increase sample throughput and perform deeper sequencing.
The incredible diversity of the immune repertoire means that analysis requires high sequencing depth. Learn more about tested library preparation kits and our NextSeq 1000 and NextSeq 2000 Sequencing Systems that provide the reads necessary for a detailed view of the immune repertoire.
Explore popular methods and applications on our benchtop sequencing systems, including multiomics, targeted DNA sequencing, exome sequencing, immune repertoire sequencing, and more.
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Multiomics is an integrated approach that provides powerful biological insights by combining data sets from multiple molecular levels, including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, and proteomics. Multiomics enables a more holistic and integrated understanding of how different biological levels interact. Furthermore, the combination of different NGS techniques can provide multiomic insights that expand our understanding of the immune repertoire, drug resistance mechanisms, and possible future disease treatment strategies.6
Multiomics data sets are inherently complex, making analysis a significant challenge. Illumina Connected Multiomics software empowers researchers with intuitive, scalable analysis, for streamlined sample-to-insights workflows. With these built-in capabilities, biologists can confidently generate powerful statistics and interactive visualizations without a bioinformatics background. Explore our multiomics resource page to expand your research across multiple omes and learn about Illumina Connected Multiomics software for multiomics data analysis and visualization needs.
Multiomics in cancer immunotherapy
Join an interdisciplinary panel of experts, including Samra Turajlic (The Francis Crick Institute), Rong Fan (Yale University), and Christina Leslie (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), who speak about the advances and challenges in their research using multiomics.
Immunology discoveries at the single-cell level
Hear from Dr Pandurangan Vijayanand (La Jolla Institute of Immunology), Shane Liddelow (NYU Langone), and Menna Clatworthy (University of Cambridge) who highlight advances made in distinct fields using single-cell sequencing technology.
Illumina Connected Multiomics: the next chapter in Partek Flow software
Explore the powerful tools available in Illumina Connected Multiomics software, and discover how you can move from sample to insights in one integrated workflow.
Three major approaches are used to obtain repertoire sequencing data:
In immunology, the immune repertoire refers to the complete collection of unique BCRs and TCRs in an individual at the specific moment in time. However, the BCR and TCR repertoire is dynamic and can rapidly change during an immune response.
The antibody repertoire plays a significant role in providing humoral immunity and is defined by an individual’s complete collection of BCRs and antibody sequences.7
IR-Seq is used in numerous research areas, including basic immunology, immune repertoire characterization, vaccine research, and lymphocyte lineage tracking.8
Visit the immunogenomics research page to gain insights into immunological disease with genomics.
Immunogenomics solutions to help researchers gain insight into potential autoimmune disease mechanisms and the immune repertoire.
Genomic solutions to fuel cancer research discoveries for a better tomorrow.
A high-resolution view of coding and noncoding regions of the transcriptome for a deeper understanding of biology.
Talk to an expert to learn more about solutions for immune repertoire sequencing studies.
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