RNA imaging in living mice enabled by an in vivo hybridization chain reaction circuit with a tripartite DNA probe.

ABSTRACT: RNA imaging in living animals helps decipher biology and creates new theranostics for disease treatment. Due to their low delivery efficiency and high background, however, fluorescence probes for in situ RNA imaging in living mice have not been reported. We develop a new cell-targeting fluorescent probe that enables RNA imaging in living mice via an in vivo hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The minimalistic Y-shaped design of the tripartite DNA probe improves its performance in live animal studies and serves as a modular scaffold for three DNA motifs for cell-targeting and the HCR circuit. The tripartite DNA probe allows facile synthesis with a high yield and demonstrates ultrasensitive RNA detection in vitro. The probe also exhibits selective and efficient internalization into folate (F

SUBMITTER: Wu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7012062 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature