Detecting RNA base methylations in single cells by in situ hybridization

Nat Commun. 2018 Feb 13;9(1):655. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02714-7.

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 types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenine / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • Guanine / metabolism
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Methylation
  • Methyltransferases / genetics
  • Methyltransferases / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • RNA / genetics
  • RNA / metabolism*
  • RNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal / metabolism*
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*
  • Uridine / metabolism

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • RNA, Ribosomal
  • Guanine
  • RNA
  • Methyltransferases
  • 16S rRNA (adenine(1518)-N(6)-adenine(1519)-N(6))-dimethyltransferase
  • Adenine
  • Uridine