Visualization of in vivo RNA behavior by direct labeling of RNA

2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23657042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: National Institute for Basic Biology
• Principal Investigator: MURATA Takashi 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 准教授 (00242024)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HASEBE Mitsuyasu 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 教授 (40237996) ; TAMADA Yosuke 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 助教 (50579290) ; WATANABE Yuichiro 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 教授 (60183125)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2012
• Keywords: RNA / 顕微鏡技術

Research Abstract

Genetic information of DNA is transcribed to messenger RNAs, and then translated to proteins. In many cases, messenger RNAs are not suspended in cytoplasm, but localize on cytoskeletons and transported to neighboring cells. Although the localization and movement is important for gene expression, no good method for seeing RNA localization in living cells has been established. In this study, we used laser-assisted microinjector and tried to inject fluorescent-labeled tomato mosaic virus RNA for establishment of RNA visualization in living cells. Unfortunately we have not yet obtained successful results on microinjection of the fluorescent-labeled RNA