In Situ Spatial Complementation of Aptamer‐Mediated Recognition Enables Live‐Cell Imaging of Native RNA Transcripts in Real Time. Issue 4 (15th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Zejun; Luo, Yao; Xie, Xiaodong; Hu, Xingjie; Song, Haiyun; Zhao, Yun; Shi, Jiye; Wang, Lihua; Glinsky, Gennadi; Chen, Nan; Lal, Ratnesh; Fan, Chunhai
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 57:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 972
• Page End: 976
• Publication Date: 2017-12-15
• Subjects: bioanalysis -- cellular imaging -- fluorescence -- mRNA -- split aptamers; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201707795
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: Direct cellular imaging of the localization and dynamics of biomolecules helps to understand their function and reveals novel mechanisms at the single‐cell resolution. In contrast to routine fluorescent‐protein‐based protein imaging, technology for RNA imaging remains less well explored because of the lack of enabling technology. Herein, we report the development of an aptamer‐initiated fluorescence complementation (AiFC) method for RNA imaging by engineering a green fluorescence protein (GFP)‐mimicking turn‐on RNA aptamer, Broccoli, into two split fragments that could tandemly bind to target mRNA. When genetically encoded in cells, endogenous mRNA molecules recruited Split‐Broccoli and brought the two fragments into spatial proximity, which formed a fluorophore‐binding site in situ and turned on fluorescence. Significantly, we demonstrated the use of AiFC for high‐contrast and real‐time imaging of endogenous RNA molecules in living mammalian cells. We envision wide application and practical utility of this enabling technology to in vivo single‐cell visualization and mechanistic analysis of macromolecular interactions. Abstract : Let's split ! An aptamer‐initiated fluorescence complementation (AiFC) method was developed for RNA imaging by engineering a green fluorescence protein (GFP)‐mimicking turn‐on RNA aptamer into two split fragments that could tandemly bind to target mRNA. The use of AiFC enables the non‐invasive, high‐contrast real‐time imaging of endogenous RNA molecules in living mammalian cells.