Fluorophore-binding RNA aptamers and their applications

Why image RNA? Of all the biological molecules, RNA exhibits the most diverse range of functions. Evidence suggests that transcription produces a wide range of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), both short (e.g., siRNAs, miRNAs) and long (e.g., telomeric RNAs) that regulate many aspects of gene expression, including the epigenetic processes that underlie cell fate determination, polarization, and morphogenesis. All these functions are realized through the exquisite temporal and spatial control of RNA expression levels and the stability of specific RNAs within well-defined sub-cellular compartments. Given the central importance of RNA in dictating cell behavior via gene-related functions, there is a great demand for RNA imaging methods so as to determine the composition of the cellular 'transcriptome' and to acquire a complete spatial-temporal profile of RNA localization. Recent advances in fluorophore-binding RNA aptamers promise to provide exactly this knowledge, which can ultimately advance our understanding of cell function and behavior in conditions of health and disease, and in response to external stimuli. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:843-851. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1383 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.