“Glow in the Lab: Innovative Scientists Create Bioluminescent RNA”

RNA is the molecule responsible for interpreting the genetic data encoded in DNA. It is essential for the correct functioning of cells, and in a recent investigation published in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of California, Irvine have found a technique to label RNA with a luminescent bioluminescent molecule, enabling them to observe RNA in real-time as it navigates through the body. This research holds promise for enhancing scientists’ comprehension of phenomena ranging from viral spread to the mechanisms of memory formation in the brain.

“The initial indication that something will occur in a cell — whether it’s growing, adapting, or changing — is ultimately governed by RNA,” stated Andrej Lupták, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UC Irvine and one of the principal corresponding authors of this research.

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Up to this point, minimal understanding had been established regarding the mechanisms of RNA activity within cells. “It appears to be rather challenging to ascertain in living cells, especially in living organisms, when RNA is activated and its pathways,” remarked Lupták. “If one sought to analyze the initial 30 seconds or the first minute — this knowledge was previously elusive. Yet we offer a tool. Visualization is now at your disposal.”

Viruses spread throughout the body by infiltrating cells with their RNA, and if researchers can label this viral RNA using the team’s termed “RNA lanterns,” they can gain deeper insights into how a virus breaches the body’s defenses.

This tagging could additionally facilitate real-time imaging of live brains, with cells containing bioluminescent RNA. RNA, as explained by co-lead corresponding author and UC Irvine professor of chemistry Jennifer Prescher, is believed to have a vital role in memory formation within the brain.

“There is a wealth of intriguing biology occurring at the RNA level within neurons,” said Prescher. “Being able to observe preliminary events and the movement of RNA from the cell body toward neural synapses where connections with other neurons are established — this has a direct link to memory formation. Should we have a method to monitor that in real-time, it could reveal fundamental insights related to the brain and memory, which has long been a pursuit in science.”

To label the RNA, the team utilized luciferase, the identical enzyme responsible for enabling insects like fireflies and glow-worms to emit light. Previously, researchers faced challenges in obtaining the results reported by the UC Irvine team because they could not ascertain how to enhance the glow of the luciferase molecules sufficiently for existing camera technology to capture them.

Both Prescher and Lupták commend the interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment at UC Irvine for facilitating the progress of this study. “We had an exceptional team of students involved in this endeavor,” Prescher noted, referring to fellow authors of the study like Lila Halbers and Kevin Ng from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Kyle Cole from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, in addition to their collaborator, Oswald Steward, the Reeve-Irvine Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Neurobiology & Behavior.

The research received funding from a grant provided by the W. M. Keck Foundation, awarded to Lupták, Prescher, and Steward.

-Note: This news release was initially published by the University of California – Irvine. As it has been reproduced, it may differ from our style guidelines.