Interference with gene expression

COX-2 and iNOS. Some steroid hormone receptors complexed with their specific hormone ligand act as DNA-binding transactivators to switch on transcription of particular genes. However, in the hormone-free state these proteins can act as repressors and block initiation of transcription of these genes. DNA and associated transcription, translation and replication processes are similar in plants and non-plant eukaryotes. Nevertheless, some plants elaborate DNA binding compounds or compounds that otherwise interfere with gene expression and DNA replication (Tables 9.1—9.4). 

TVo Corporate Drive South San Francisco, CA 94080 start-up biotechnology company seeking small-molecule drugs that interfere with gene expression offers equity participation... 

The toxicity of the unchanged xenobiotic may arise in a number of different ways. For example, it may be lipophilic and affect aspects of membrane function, such as enzyme-enzyme interactions, compartmentalization and fusion of cellular vesicles (Slater 1978), or it may interfere with gene expression, either by acting directly as a primary carcinogen, or indirectly as a co-carcinogen promoting the... 

RNAi Approach This is the use of short interfering RNA (siRNA, sometimes called small interfering or silencing RNA) to interfere with the expression of a particular gene. The siRNAs are double-stranded RNAs of 20-25 nucleotides. It is envisaged that if the biological pathway of a disease is identified, siRNA could interfere to turn off the activity of the gene involved in the pathway and provide therapeutic effect. 

An extremely powerful tool for disrupting gene expression was serendipi-tously discovered in the course of studies that required the introduction of RNA into a cell. The introduction of a specific double-stranded RNA molecule into a cell was found to suppress the transcription of genes that contained sequences present in the double-stranded RNA molecule. Thus, the introduction of a specific RNA molecule can interfere with the expression of a specific gene. 

Finally, we will give some perspectives on the field opened by new polymerization techniques, and consequently new types of polymers, and on recent discoveries about how to interfere with the expression of specific genes with oligonucleotides. 

Trono D, Feinberg MB, Baltimore D (1989) HlV-1 Gag mutants can dominantly interfere with the replication of the wild-type virus. Cell 59 113-120 Tung FY, Bowen SW (1998) Targeted inhibition of hepatitis B virus gene expression a gene therapy approach. Front Biosci 3 all-al5... 

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