RNA-binding proteins are crucial to the function of coding and non-coding RNAs. The disruption of RNA-protein interactions is involved in many different pathological states. Several computational and experimental strategies have been developed to identify protein binders of selected RNA molecules. Amongst these, 'in cell' hybridization methods represent the gold standard in the field because they are designed to reveal the proteins bound to specific RNAs in a cellular context. Here, we compare the technical features of different 'in cell' hybridization approaches with a focus on their advantages, limitations, and current and potential future applications.
Keywords: RNA molecules; RNA–protein interactions; ‘in cell’ hybridization methods.