Imaging the Cytoplasmic Lives of Single mRNAs

Once an mRNA is exported to the cytoplasm, a transcript's fate is determined by the combinatorial interaction of a myriad of RNA-binding proteins that will determine its localization, translation and, eventual, degradation. To understand how these processes are regulated temporally and spatially in cells, a host of single-molecule fluorescent microscopy methodologies have been developed to interrogate different steps in the gene expression pathway. Here, we have highlighted the recent contributions of single-molecule measurements towards understanding the cytoplasmic lives of mRNAs and provide an outlook for future challenges and developments in the field.