In Situ Hybridization for Electron Microscopy

In the great majority of cases in situ hybridization is used to localize mRNA species at the tissue level, or DNA at the chromosome level. These approaches are generally best done by light microscopy. There are instances, however, when it becomes important to localize nucleic acids at the subcellular level—this brings us into the domain of the electron microscope. Distribution of nucleic acids within the cell can be an important component of their function. The partitioning, manufacturing, trafficking, and processing of different nucleic acids is critical to the functioning of cells, and is only beginning to be understood.