Live-cell imaging of mammalian RNAs with Spinach2.

Overview

The ability to monitor RNAs of interest in living cells is crucial to understanding the function, dynamics, and regulation of this important class of molecules. In recent years, numerous strategies have been developed with the goal of imaging individual RNAs of interest in living cells, each with their own advantages and limitations. This chapter provides an overview of current methods of live-cell RNA imaging, including a detailed discussion of genetically encoded strategies for labeling RNAs in mammalian cells. This chapter then focuses on the development and use of "RNA mimics of GFP" or Spinach technology for tagging mammalian RNAs and includes a detailed protocol for imaging 5S and CGG60 RNA with the recently described Spinach2 tag.