Examining gene expression patterns through whole-mount in situ hybridization

Abstract

RNA in situ hybridization is a practical technique that allows investigators to observe temporal and spatial gene expression at the RNA level in the context of whole embryos or tissues. One powerful application of in situ hybridization is to observe the consequences of genetic, toxicologic, or environmental perturbations on gene expression or morphogenesis during development. Herein, I will review the procedure to perform nonradioactive, in situ hybridization on whole-mount mouse or chick embryos.