Cellular Metabolic Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Its Applications

Abstract

Nucleic acids are considered as fundamental molecules of living systems, which serve as universal genetic information messengers and repositories. To uncover the multifaceted aspects of nucleic acid function and metabolism within cells, labeling has become indispensable. This labeling technique enables the visualization, isolation, characterization, and even quantification of specific nucleic acid species. This review delves into cellular metabolic approaches for nucleic acid labeling, wherein enzymatic steps are employed to introduce nucleic acid modifications before conjugation with a label for detection or isolation. The discussion begins with metabolic labeling for DNA, RNA with various reactive groups and post-transcriptional RNA labeling for RNA methylation and acetylation sites, emphasizing recent advancements in the field and then, we spotlighted pertinent applications for cellular imaging and sequencing. of labeling.