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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Visualizing RNA Localization in Xenopus Oocytes
Published on: January 14, 2010
Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence for Visualizing Endogenous Protein and Injected RNA in Xenopus Oocytes
Samantha P Jeschonek1, Kimberly L Mowry2
1Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912.
Abstract:
Asymmetric distribution of mRNA and protein is a hallmark of cell polarity in many systems. The Xenopus laevis oocyte provides many technical advantages to studying such polarity. Thousands of oocytes at different stages of maturity can be harvested from a single ovary and, owing to their relatively large size, even the youngest oocytes can be manually microinjected. Microinjection of fluorescently labeled RNA combined with immunofluorescence of endogenous proteins can provide insight into the cytoplasmic interactions contributing to polarity. Here, we present an updated method to image endogenous protein and microinjected RNA in X. laevis oocytes.
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