In situ detection of miRNAs in animal embryos using LNA-modified oligonucleotide probes.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20–23 nucleotide (nt) RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. A key step toward understanding the function of the hundreds of miRNAs identified in animals is to determine their expression during development. Here we performed a detailed analysis of conditions for in situ detection of miRNAs in the zebrafish embryo using locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified DNA probes and report expression patterns for 15 miRNAs in the mouse embryo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]