Simultaneous In Situ Detection of m6A-Modified and Unmodified RNAs Using DART-FISH

Methods Mol Biol. 2024:2784:147-161. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3766-1_10.

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant mRNA modification which plays important roles in regulating RNA function and gene expression. Traditional methods for visualizing mRNAs within cells cannot distinguish m6A-modified and unmodified versions of the target transcript, thus limiting our understanding of how and where methylated transcripts are localized within cells. Here, we describe DART-FISH, a visualization technique which enables simultaneous detection of both m6A-modified and unmodified target transcripts. DART-FISH combines m6A-dependent C-to-U editing with mutation-selective fluorescence in situ hybridization to specifically detect methylated and unmethylated transcript copies, enabling the investigation of m6A stoichiometry and methylated mRNA localization in single cells.

Keywords: Deamination adjacent to RNA modification targets (DART); Epitranscriptomics; Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH); N6-methyladenosine (m6A); Padlock probe; RNA modifications.

MeSH terms

  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / methods
  • RNA* / genetics
  • RNA* / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism

Substances

  • RNA
  • RNA, Messenger