ESF-EMBO Symposium: Antiviral Applications of RNA Interference

AIDS-associated, CCR5-tropic (R5) HIV-1 clones, isolated from a patient that never developed CXCR4-tropic HIV-1, replicate to a greater extent and cause greater cytopathic effects than R5 HIV-1 clones isolated before the onset of AIDS. Previously, we showed that HIV-1 Env substantially contributed to the enhanced replication of an AIDS clone. In order to determine if Nef makes a similar contribution, we cloned and phenotypically analyzed nef genes from a series of patient ACH142 derived R5 HIV-1 clones. The AIDS-associated Nef contains a series of residues found in Nef proteins from progressors [1]. In contrast to other reports [1–3], this AIDS-associated Nef downmodulated MHC-I to a greater extent and CD4 less than pre-AIDS Nef proteins. Additionally, all Nef proteins enhanced infectivity similarly in a single round of replication. Combined with our previous study, these data show that evolution of the HIV-1 env gene, but not the nef gene, within patient ACH142 significantly contributed to the enhanced replication and cytopathic effects of the AIDS-associated R5 HIV-1 clone.     

RNA干扰机制及其应用研究进展

2006年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖,授予给了美国科学家Andrew Z.Fire和Craig C.Mello以表彰他们发现了RNA 干扰(RNAinterference RNAi)现象,使人们在基因治疗传染性、恶性肿瘤等危重疾病领域取得了突破性的发展.本文主要综述了RNA干扰系统的组成、分子机制、作用特点及其在探索基因功能、传染性、恶性肿瘤的基因治疗和药物研发等四个方面的应用.     

RNA干扰技术在抗丙型病毒性肝炎中的应用

RNA干扰技术可以特异性敲低或关闭特定基因的表达,已经在生命科学的各基础研究领域中得到广泛应用,并且在抗病毒和肿瘤治疗等药物开发研究中具有良好的应用前景。近年来,RNA干扰技术被逐渐用于抗丙型病毒性肝炎的研究,不仅可以特异性地阻断丙型肝炎病毒的复制和表达,而且还可以特异性地阻断与丙型肝炎病毒结合的蛋白的复制和表达。我们简要综述了近年来RNA干扰技术在此方面的应用。     

RNAi的作用机制及其在抗病毒领域的应用

RNA干扰是外源性或内源性双链RNA诱发的mRNA水平上的基因沉默机制。RNA技术具有高效性、特异性。最近将RNA干扰应用于许多病毒性疾病的治疗研究均取得了显著的基因沉默效果,为病毒的预防和治疗开辟了一条新途径。就RNA干扰作用机制及抗病毒效应作一综述。     

RNA Interference and Development

RNA interference consists in specific mRNA degradation in response to introduction of a double-stranded RNA, homologous in nucleotide sequence. RNA interference was found in eukaryotes and is used in genomics as a powerful method to determine the functions of genes with known nucleotide sequences. RNA interference is considered as a tool of protection against viruses and harmful consequences of mobile elements' transposals. The involvement of the components of RNA interference is considered in spermatogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster and regulation of the expression of genes in Caenorhabditis elegans responsible for temporal patterns of development. The role of RNA interference in stem cell formation and functioning is also considered.     

RNA编辑功能和RNA干扰

RNA编辑被认为是生命体一种新的基因加工与修饰现象,是指DNA转录成RNA后除RNA剪切外的其他加工过程,以核苷酸的删除、插入或替换等方式改变遗传信息,揭示生物进化过程中基因修饰和调控的另一个重要途径,是对中心法则的重要补充.而RNAi是一种由dsRNA介导的,在转录水平、转录后水平和翻译水平上阻断基因表达的基因调节途径.着重介绍 RNA编辑功能、RNA编辑与RNA干扰关系.     

慢病毒载体介导的RNA干扰

RNA干扰(RNAinterference)是指由双链RNA分子抑制同源基因的表达。慢病毒载体(lentivirusvector)则是高效的基因转导工具,能将外源序列稳定导入分裂相和非分裂相细胞。将慢病毒载体和RNA干扰结合,能在哺乳动物各类细胞中,特异性抑制同源基因的表达;也是基因功能研究和基因治疗的有力手段。     

腈水解酶的来源、结构、作用机制及其应用

综合报道了腈水解酶的来源、结构、作用机制及其工业应用。     

Bacteriophage Vehicles for Phage Display: Biology,Mechanism, and Application

The phage display technique is a powerful tool for selection of various biological agents. This technique allows construction of large libraries from the antibody repertoire of different hosts and provides a fast and high-throughput selection method. Specific antibodies can be isolated based on distinctive characteristics from a library consisting of millions of members. These features made phage display technology preferred method for antibody selection and engineering. There are several phage display methods available and each has its unique merits and application. Selection of appropriate display technique requires basic knowledge of available methods and their mechanism. In this review, we describe different phage display techniques, available bacteriophage vehicles, and their mechanism.     

Mobile Genes and RNA Interference

Current views on the role of RNA interference in controlling the expression and transposition of mobile genes in the eukaryotic genome are considered in connection with a recollected work resulting in the discovery of retrotransposons.     

RNA干扰与抗病毒感染

RNA干扰(RNAi)是由小干扰RNA(siRNA)引发的生物细胞内同源基因的转录后基因沉默(PTGS)现象,是一种古老的生物抵抗外在感染的防御机制。RNAi因其在维持基因组稳定、调控基因表达和保护基因组免受外源核酸侵入等方面发挥的重要作用,已被广泛用于探索基因功能、基因治疗和新药的研发。外源导入siRNA引发的RNAi可以特异性抑制病毒的复制与感染,为抗病毒感染治疗开辟了一条新的途径。     

RNA干扰与植物抗病毒

RNA干扰是多种生物体内由双链RNA介导的同源mRNA降解现象,是植物体内天然的抗病毒机制。然而病毒在长期进化过程中也获得了通过编码沉默抑制蛋白来对抗植物体RNAi系统的能力。本文对RNA干扰过程、病毒编码的沉默抑制蛋白及利用干扰技术进行抗病毒基因工程研究进行简要综述。     

噬菌体phi29 pRNA载体在RNA干扰中的初步应用研究

RNA干扰是在细胞胞质中双链RNA(dsR-NA)介导的序列特异性mRNA的降解[1]。这个过程是由21~25个被称为小干扰RNA(si RNA)形成的dsRNA完成[2]。目前,这一技术已经广泛应用于研究基因的功能,病毒感染治疗等方面。但是,si RNA在体内容易降解,干扰作用持续的时间不长。新的研究表明枯     

RNA干涉技术(RNAi)应用研究进展

RNA干涉是通过双链RNA的介导特异性地降解相应序列的mRNA,从而导致转录后水平的基因沉默,这一过程在拟南芥、线虫和真菌等多种模式植物中发现。RNAi是研究多种生物基因功能的有效手段,本文综述了RNA干涉的分子机理及其应用研究进展。     

Delivery of RNA Interference

Over the last few years, RNA Interference (RNAi), a naturally occurring mechanism of gene regulation conserved in plant and mammalian cells, has opened numerous novel opportunities for basic research across the field of biology. While RNAi has helped accelerate discovery and understanding of gene functions, it also has great potential as a therapeutic and potentially prophylactic modality. Challenging diseases failing conventional therapeutics could become treatable by specific silencing of key pathogenic genes. More specifically, therapeutic targets previously deemed “undruggable” by small molecules, are now coming within reach of RNAi based therapy. For RNAi to be effective and elicit gene silencing response, the double-stranded RNA molecules must be delivered to the target cell. Unfortunately, delivery of these RNA duplexes has been challenging, halting rapid development of RNAi-based therapies. In this review we present current advancements in the field of siRNA delivery methods, including the pros and cons of each method.