Monitoring the Transcription and Transport Process of RNA Using Optical Imaging Techniques: A Brief Review

Abstract

Fluorescent spectroscopy and in situ hybridization techniques offer a bird's eye view of the maturation process and the dynamics of messenger RNA (mRNA) in vivo. This review offers a vignette of the transcription, splicing and transport process of nascent mRNA through the eyes of these bio-imaging strategies. A combined approach of theoretical structural biology and experimental techniques is proposed as a cooperative strategy to monitor more closely the dynamics of the mRNA splicing process.