RNA interference: Biology and prospects of application in biomedicine and biotechnology

RNA interference is one of the most important mechanisms regulating gene expression. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) play an essential role in cell defense against virus infection or retrotransposons. The use of siRNAs gives wide opportunities for treating virus infections and cancer. RNA interference allows rapid construction of monogenic functional knockouts, thereby providing a convenient tool for researchers. The review considers the current views of the mechanisms of RNA interference and modern approaches to its practical application.     

丝状真菌瑞氏木霉生产重组蛋白的分子生物学研究进展

瑞氏木霉是自然界中普遍存在并有重要经济意义的一种丝状真菌,作为工业生产菌株生产多种水解酶类已有多年历史。本文报道了用基因工程手段对瑞氏木霉进行遗传改造,构造具新性状的重组菌株,用以过量产生同源和异源蛋白类物质的分子生物学研究进展。包括利用ＣＢＨＩ基因的强启动子在瑞氏木霉中过量表达瑞氏木霉内切葡聚糖酶、小牛凝乳蛋白酶、人抗体片段、哈茨木霉几丁质酶、Ｈｏｒｍｏｃｏｎｉｓｒｅｓｉｎａｅ葡萄糖淀粉酶等同源和异源蛋白以及利用在葡萄糖上强表达的启动子生产纤维素酶等遗传工程进展情况。     

Chemogenomics and biotechnology

A robust knowledge of the interactions between small molecules and specific proteins aids the development of new biotechnological tools and the identification of new drug targets, and can lead to specific biological insights. Such knowledge can be obtained through chemogenomic screens. In these screens, each small molecule from a chemical library is applied to each cell type from a library of cells, and the resulting phenotypes are recorded. Chemogenomic screens have recently become very common and will continue to generate large amounts of data. The interpretation of this data will occupy biologists and chemists alike for some time to come. This review discusses methods for the acquisition and interpretation of chemogenomic data, in addition to possible applications of chemogenomics in biotechnology.     

Bioethics and biotechnology

Biotechnology is at the intersection of science and ethics. Technological developments are shaped by an ethical vision, which in turn is shaped by available technology. Much in biotechnology can be celebrated for how it benefits humanity. But technology can have a darker side. Biotechnology can produce unanticipated consequences that cause harm or dehumanise people. The ethical implications of proposed developments must be carefully examined. The ethical assessment of new technologies, including biotechnology, requires a different approach to ethics. Changes are necessary because new technology can have a more profound impact on the world; because of limitations with a rights-based approach to ethics; because of the importance and difficulty of predicting consequences; and because biotechnology now manipulates humans themselves. The ethical questions raised by biotechnology are of a very different nature. Given the potential to profoundly change the future course of humanity, such questions require careful consideration. Rather than focussing on rights and freedoms, wisdom is needed to articulate our responsibilities towards nature and others, including future generations. The power and potential of biotechnology demands caution to ensure ethical progress.     

Chemical biotechnology pharmaceutical biotechnology. Web alert

A selection of World Wide Web sites relevant to papers published in this issue of Current Opinion in Biotechnology.     

Pharmaceutical biotechnology: Chemical biotechnology: Web alert

A selection of World Wide Web sites relevant to papers published in this issue of Current Opinion in Biotechnology.     

Pharmaceutical biotechnology, Chemical biotechnology: Web alert

A selection of World Wide Web sites relevant to papers published in this issue of Current Opinion in Biotechnology.     

Cytostatic effect of L-lysine-alpha-oxidase from Trichoderma harzianum Rifai and Trichoderma viride

L-lysine-alpha-oxidase, a new fungal enzyme catalyzing oxidative L-lysine deamination, was shown to have an inhibitory effect on the in vitro synthesis of DNA, RNA and proteins in human carcinoma ovarian (CaOv) cells.