dinsdag 24 februari 2009

Gene Silencing


Gene Silencing

Gene silencing or RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological occurring mechanism in higher eukaryotes by which gene expression is regulated by short double-stranded RNA sequences. The mechanism occurs after the gene has been transcribed , and it was initially considered a phenomenon limited to petunias and a few other plant species, recently it has become clear that post transcription gene silencing occurs in both plants and animals and has roles in viral defence and transposon silencing mechanisms. Perhaps most exciting phenomenon and one of the hottest topics in molecular biology today is the use of RNA interference (RNAi) by introducing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a tool to knock down expression of specific genes in a variety of organisms. In 1998, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello published a break-through study in the mechanism of RNA interference and they established that, only injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into C.elegan led to an efficient loss of the target mRNA. Following this break-through, researchers are no longer restricted to classical forward genetic screening where the gene can only be studied by inducing mutation then sorting of the phenotype of interest instead, gene silencing provide an alternative approach known as “Reverse genetics” where the functional study of a gene starts with the gene sequencing rather than mutant phenotype. Using reverse genetics one can investigate the function of all genes in a gene family, one can study the function of a gene found to be involved in a process of interest in another organism, something not easily done with forward genetics.


Katemani Mdili

PINC 2008/09

1 opmerking:

  1. Gene silencing or RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological ^[biologically] occurring mechanism in higher eukaryotes by which gene expression is regulated by short double-stranded RNA sequences. The mechanism occurs after the gene has been transcribed , and it was initially considered a phenomenon limited to petunias and a few other plant species, recently it has become clear that post transcription gene silencing occurs in both plants and animals and has roles in viral defence and transposon silencing mechanisms. Perhaps ^[the ] most exciting phenomenon and one of the hottest topics in molecular biology today is the use of RNA interference (RNAi) by introducing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a tool to knock down expression of specific genes in a variety of organisms. In 1998, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello published a break-through study in the mechanism of RNA interference and they established that, only injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into C.elegan led to an efficient loss of the target mRNA. Following this break-through, researchers are no longer restricted to classical forward genetic screening where the gene can only be studied by inducing mutation then sorting of the phenotype of interest instead, gene silencing provide ^[provides] an alternative approach known as “Reverse genetics” where the functional study of a gene starts with the gene sequencing rather than mutant phenotype. Using reverse genetics one can investigate the function of all genes in a gene family, one can study the function of a gene found to be involved in a process of interest in another organism, something not easily done with forward genetics.

    Good flow despite the sometimes too long a sentences.

    Mind the minor errors.

    good job,

    olaf

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