Description
Precise spatial distribution of RNA is crucial in highly differentiated cells; nevertheless, RNA localization in muscle remains poorly understood. Here, we visualize single RNA molecules in muscle fibers using fluorescence microscopy, and we implement robust image analysis with SciPy and scikit-image to study 3D spatial patterns of RNA. By applying segmentation, blob detection, and particle tracking, we show that RNAs associate with microtubules and Z-disks, and that RNAs require transport along microtubules to move within the cell. We measure RNA motion parameters in live cells, and we show by stochastic simulation that RNAs cannot distribute effectively in muscle by diffusion alone. This work demonstrates the power of quantitative image analysis and simulation in Python to uncover fundamental biological processes.