RESUMO
The analysis of the spatial-dynamic properties of DNA and RNA molecules in living cells will greatly extend our knowledge of genome organization and gene expression regulation in the cell nucleus. The development of hybridization methods allowing detection of specific endogenous DNA and RNA sequences in living cells has therefore been a challenge for many years. However, there are many technical issues that have proven so far to be difficult, or even impossible, to overcome. As a result, in most situations, the application of in vivo hybridization methods is currently limited to the visualization of highly repetitive DNA sequences or abundant RNA species. We describe a protocol that enables the visualization and tracking of telomeres in living cells by hybridization with a fluorescent peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe. Furthermore, we describe a method that allows the detection of abundant endogenous RNAs in living cells by microinjecting fluorescently labeled complementary 2'-O-methyl RNA probes.
Assuntos
DNA/metabolismo , Hibridização in Situ Fluorescente/métodos , Imagem Molecular/métodos , RNA/metabolismo , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Sobrevivência Celular , Corantes Fluorescentes/metabolismo , Humanos , Microinjeções , Ácidos Nucleicos Peptídicos/metabolismo , RNA/químicaRESUMO
The cell nucleus harbors a variety of different bodies that vary in number, composition, and size. Although these bodies coordinate important nuclear processes, little is known about how they are formed. Among the most intensively studied bodies in recent years is the PML body. These bodies have been implicated in gene regulation and other cellular processes and are disrupted in cells from patients suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia. Using live cell imaging microscopy and immunofluorescence, we show in several cell types that PML bodies are formed at telomeric DNA during interphase. Recent studies revealed that both SUMO modification sites and SUMO interaction motifs in the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein are required for PML body formation. We show that SMC5, a component of the SUMO ligase MMS21-containing SMC5/6 complex, localizes temporarily at telomeric DNA during PML body formation, suggesting a possible role for SUMO in the formation of PML bodies at telomeric DNA. Our data identify a novel role of telomeric DNA during PML body formation.