Published 20 June 2005. doi:10.1083/jcb.200501053
The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525 $8.00
JCB, Volume 169, Number 6, 847-857
Epigenetic manipulation of gene expression
:
a toolkit for cell biologists
Rudy L. Juliano,
Vidula R. Dixit,
Hyunmin Kang,
Tai Young Kim,
Yuko Miyamoto, and
Dong Xu
Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Correspondence to Rudy L. Juliano: arjay{at}med.unc.edu
Abstract
Cell biologists have been afforded extraordinary new opportunities for experimentation by the emergence of powerful technologies that allow the selective manipulation of gene expression. Currently, RNA interference is very much in the limelight; however, significant progress has also been made with two other approaches. Thus, antisense oligonucleotide technology is undergoing a resurgence as a result of improvements in the chemistry of these molecules, whereas designed transcription factors offer a powerful and increasingly convenient strategy for either up- or down-regulation of targeted genes. This mini-review will highlight some of the key features of these three approaches to gene regulation, as well as provide pragmatic guidance concerning their use in cell biological experimentation based on our direct experience with each of these technologies. The approaches discussed here are being intensely pursued in terms of possible therapeutic applications. However, we will restrict our comments primarily to the cell culture situation, only briefly alluding to fundamental differences between utilization in animals versus cells.
Abbreviations used in this paper: ds, double stranded; HNA, anhydrohexitol nucleic acid; LNA, locked nucleic acid; miRNA, micro-RNA; MOE, methoxy-ethyl; RISC, RNA-induced silencing complex; shRNA, short hairpin RNA; siRNA, short interfering RNA; TF, transcription factor; Zif, zinc finger.

CiteULike
Complore
Connotea
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Dixit, V., Juliano, R. L.
(2008). Selective Killing of Smad4-Negative Tumor Cells via a Designed Repressor Strategy. Mol. Pharmacol.
74: 289-297
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Akopian, A. N., Ruparel, N. B., Patwardhan, A., Hargreaves, K. M.
(2008). Cannabinoids Desensitize Capsaicin and Mustard Oil Responses in Sensory Neurons via TRPA1 Activation. J. Neurosci.
28: 1064-1075
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Knapp, A. M., Ramsey, J. E., Wang, S.-X., Godburn, K. E., Strauch, A. R., Kelm, R. J. Jr.
(2006). Nucleoprotein Interactions Governing Cell Type-dependent Repression of the Mouse Smooth Muscle {alpha}-Actin Promoter by Single-stranded DNA-binding Proteins Pur{alpha} and Purbeta. J. Biol. Chem.
281: 7907-7918
[Abstract]
[Full Text]