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Updated: Oct 2, 2025
Live-cell Imaging of Migrating Cells Expressing Fluorescently-tagged Proteins in a Three-dimensional Matrix
Published on: December 22, 2011
In Situ Single-Molecule Imaging of MicroRNAs in Switchable Migrating Cells under Biomimetic Confinement
Yixin Liu1, Binxiao Li1, Ya-Jun Wang1
1Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, State Key Lab of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Abstract:
Spatial imaging of RNAs in single cells is extremely charming for deciphering of regulatory mechanisms in multiple migration modes during tumor metastasis. Herein, enzyme-free-mediated cascade amplified nanoprobes were designed for in situ single-molecule imaging of dual-microRNAs (miRNAs) in switchable migrating cells. Differential expression and localization of dual-miRNAs were clearly exhibited in multiple cell lines attributed to enhanced sensitivity via the cascade signal amplification strategy. Significantly, in situ three-dimensional (3D) imaging of dual-miRNAs in transition of cell migration phenotypes was successfully reconstructed in both non-confined and confined microenvironments in vitro, of which differential spatial distribution was observed in a single cell. This is very promising for exploring key roles of spatial RNA distribution in migrating cells at the single-molecule level, which will advance revealing the molecular mechanism and physical principle in 3D cell migration in vivo.
