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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Visualizing RNA Localization in Xenopus Oocytes
Published on: January 14, 2010
Biological functions, regulatory mechanisms, and disease relevance of RNA localization pathways
Samantha Bovaird1,2, Dhara Patel1,3, Juan-Carlos Alberto Padilla1,2
1Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), QC, Canada.
Abstract:
The asymmetric subcellular distribution of RNA molecules from their sites of transcription to specific compartments of the cell is an important aspect of post-transcriptional gene regulation. This involves the interplay of intrinsic cis-regulatory elements within the RNA molecules with trans-acting RNA-binding proteins and associated factors. Together, these interactions dictate the intracellular localization route of RNAs, whose downstream impacts have wide-ranging implications in cellular physiology. In this review, we examine the mechanisms underlying RNA localization and discuss their biological significance. We also review the growing body of evidence pointing to aberrant RNA localization pathways in the development and progression of diseases.
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