Although biological processes are inherently dynamic, most tools to study molecular phenotypes provide static measurements or focus on a small number of molecules. Writing in Science, Chao et al. introduce a tool called TimeVault for studying gene expression dynamics that captures transcriptomes within living cell for later readout.
TimeVault uses the endogenous vault particle — a hollow, self-assembling protein complex found in many animal cells — to store mRNA inside cells. To design vault particles for mRNA storage, the authors genetically fused poly(A) binding protein (PABP) with a vault-interacting domain (INT) to induce interaction with the main component of vault particles: major vault protein (MVP). By co-expressing PABP-INT with MVP under a doxycycline-inducible promotor, researchers can turn TimeVault ‘on’ or ‘off’ to capture mRNA at defined time windows.
