Detecting RNA base methylations in single cells by in situ hybridization.

Authors
Ranasinghe, Rohan T  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9227-4110
Ganzinger, Kristina A  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9106-9406
Softley, Charlotte 

Change log
Abstract

Methylated bases in tRNA, rRNA and mRNA control a variety of cellular processes, including protein synthesis, antimicrobial resistance and gene expression. Currently, bulk methods that report the average methylation state of ~104-107 cells are used to detect these modifications, obscuring potentially important biological information. Here, we use in situ hybridization of Molecular Beacons for single-cell detection of three methylations (m62A, m1G and m3U) that destabilize Watson-Crick base pairs. Our method-methylation-sensitive RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization-detects single methylations of rRNA, quantifies antibiotic-resistant bacteria in mixtures of cells and simultaneously detects multiple methylations using multicolor fluorescence imaging.

Publication Date
2018-02-13
Online Publication Date
2018-02-13
Acceptance Date
2017-12-20
Keywords
Adenine, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli Proteins, Guanine, In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence, Methylation, Methyltransferases, Microscopy, Fluorescence, RNA, RNA, Ribosomal, Single-Cell Analysis, Uridine
Journal Title
Nat Commun
Journal ISSN
2041-1723
2041-1723
Volume Title
9
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
European Commission (216027)
European Commission (115153)