Insights into mRNA degradation from single-molecule imaging in living cells

Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy techniques have enabled the lifecycle of individual RNA transcripts to be quantitatively measured in living cells. The application of these approaches to monitor mRNA degradation, however, has presented a challenge to unequivocally detect these events due to the inherent loss-of-signal resulting from decay of a transcript. Here, we highlight the recent technological developments that have enabled the spatial and temporal dynamics of mRNA degradation of individual transcripts to be visualized within living cells.