Subcellular Level Spatial Transcriptomics with PHOTON.

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Cell Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• RNA localization within subcellular compartments is critical for its function, including storage, processing, translation, and degradation.
• Understanding the spatial distribution of RNA at a fine resolution is essential for deciphering RNA functions and regulatory mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce PHOTON (Photoselection of Transcriptome over Nanoscale), a novel method for spatial transcriptomic profiling at subcellular resolution.
• To demonstrate the capability of PHOTON in capturing *in situ* transcriptomes of specific cell types and RNA within subcellular compartments.

Main Methods:

• PHOTON combines high-resolution imaging with high-throughput sequencing.
• This method enables spatial transcriptome profiling at subcellular resolution.

Main Results:

• PHOTON accurately captures the transcriptome of target cell types (e.g., ovarian granulosa cells) *in situ*.
• The method profiles RNA content within subcellular compartments, including the nucleolus and stress granules.
• PHOTON elucidated the role of m6A modification in mRNA partitioning into stress granules.

Conclusions:

• PHOTON is a versatile and generalizable platform for spatial transcriptomic analysis.
• The method provides insights into subcellular molecular dynamics and RNA regulation.