Spatioselective Imaging of Noncoding RNAs in Mitochondria via an Organelle-Specific DNA Assembly Strategy

作     者：Wu, Bo Zhao, Jian Yu, Fangzhi Li, Lele Zhao, Yuliang 

作者机构：Natl Ctr Nanosci & Technol CAS Key Lab Biomed Effects Nanomat & Nanosafety Beijing 100190 Peoples R China Univ Chinese Acad Sci Coll Mat Sci & Optoelect Technol Beijing 100049 Peoples R China 

出 版 物：《NANO LETTERS》 (Nano Lett.)

年 卷 期：2025年第25卷第5期

页      面：1948-1955页

核心收录：

学科分类：081704[工学-应用化学] 07[理学] 070304[理学-物理化学(含∶化学物理)] 08[工学] 0817[工学-化学工程与技术] 0805[工学-材料科学与工程（可授工学、理学学位）] 0703[理学-化学] 0702[理学-物理学] 

基　　金：National Natural Science Foundation of China [T2322005, 22125402, 22388101] National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS 

主　　题：noncoding RNAs imaging mitochondria rRNAs DNA assembly 

摘      要：Precise imaging of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in specific organelles allows decoding of their functions at subcellular level but lacks advanced tools. Here we present a DNA-based nanobiotechnology for spatially selective imaging of ncRNA (e.g., microRNA (miRNA)) in mitochondria via an organelle-specific DNA assembly strategy. The target miRNA-initiated assembly of DNA hairpins is inhibited by the block of toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction but can be exclusively activated by a mitochondria-encoded ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for hybridization chain reaction, enabling spatial control over miRNA imaging. We demonstrate that the conditionally controlled DNA assembly technology allows for minimization of nonspecific activation and thus improves the spatial precision of miRNA detection. In addition, the strategy is adaptable to visualizing other ncRNAs such as long noncoding RNAs in mitochondria, highlighting the universality of the approach. Overall, this work provides a useful tool for spatially selective imaging of ncRNAs and investigating the functions of organelle-located RNA.