Recently, a new universal class of endogenous noncoding RNAs that is generated by “head-to-tail’ splicing in eukaryotes gained considerable interest. This alternative spicing event results in the covalent linkage of the 5’ end of one exon with the 3’ end of another exon and creates stable single-stranded circular RNA molecules (circRNAs) (Andreeva and Cooper 2015, Salzman et al. 2013, Salzman 2016). These highly conserved circRNAs are characterized by tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression patterns (Memczak et al. 2013).

Alternative splicing of exons in pre-mRNA can lead to the expression of multiple different mature mRNAs from an individual gene, known as splice variants. Splice variants have been shown to play significant roles in human disease, particularly cancer and neurological disorders and they often are differentially regulated across tissues and cells and during disease progression. However, the localization of the precise cells expressing specific splice variants in a complex tissue environment has been limited by the lack of sensitive and reproducible technologies.

Pathway information and image are provided courtesy of R&D Systems, a Bio-Techne Brand. To access the larger and interactive version of the pathway image visit their website.

RNAscope™ in situ hybridization (ISH) offers a reliable and robust method for the detection and validation of prostate cancer (PCa)-related biomarkers within the tissue environment. 

How RNAscope™ ISH has been applied to examine PCa-related markers: