Hammerhead ribozyme expressions

Dan M, Wang AL, Wang CC (2000) Inhibition of pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase gene expression in Giardia lamblia by a virus-mediated hammerhead ribozyme. Mol... 

An example of the type of research that is currently being carried out deals with the in vitro evaluation of ribozymes on gene expression. Hammerhead ribozymes have been shown to have the ability to attack the coding region of mRNA of interleukin 6 (IL-6). In this manner, theoretically, downregulation of IL-6 may be a potential treatment of those diseases in which IL-6 overexpression is involved. 

In addition to antisense targeting, hammerhead ribozymes have also been used to inhibit the expression of hTERT messenger RNA. These ribozymes are small catalytic RNA molecules that consist of a catalytic core flanked by antisense sequences that function in the recognition of the target sequence. These RNAs possess endoribonuclease activity that allows for the degradation of target transcripts. A hammerhead ribozyme has recently been used to cleave the hTERT mRNA in breast epithelial cells that inhibited telomerase activity and resulted in shortened telomeres, decreased net growth, and apoptosis (43). 

Weinberg, M., Passman, M., Kew, M., Arbuthnot, P. Hammerhead ribozyme-mediated inhibition of hepatitis b virus x gene expression in cultured cells. J. Hepatol. 2000, 33(1), 142-51. 

Jabrane-Ferrat, N., Pollock, A. S., and Goetzl, E. J. (2000). Selective suppression of human VPACl G protein-coupled receptor expression and signaling by hammerhead ribozymes. J. Biol. Chem. in press... 

RIBOZYME TECHNOLOGY 1 HAMMERHEAD RIBOZYMES AS TOOLS FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF GENE EXPRESSION... 

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