We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
INTEGRA BIOSCIENCES AG

Download Mobile App




Fruit Fly Study Leads to New Understanding of How mRNA Regulates Gene Expression

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 02 Apr 2014
Print article
A study on heat sensitivity in fruit flies has led to a new understanding of how gene expression is regulated by mRNAs in a fashion that is independent of both DNA and protein.

Investigators at the Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO, USA) were studying the genetic mechanism that controls the behavior of a mutant variety of Drosophila that was unusually sensitive to high temperatures. These flies carried a mutated copy of a gene called seizure (sei) that rendered them so sensitive to heat that a rise in temperature of even 10 degrees was sufficient to send them into seizures.

"When we looked at the sei gene, we noticed that there is another gene on the opposite strand of the double-stranded DNA molecule called pickpocket 29 (ppk29)," said senior author Dr. Yehuda Ben-Shahar, assistant professor of biology at the Washington University School of Medicine. "This was interesting because sei codes for a protein ‘gate’ that lets potassium ions out of the neuron and pickpocket 29 codes for a gate that lets sodium ions into the neuron."

The investigators generated a series of transgenic lines of Drosophila with different ratios of sei and ppk29. They reported in the March 18, 2014, online edition of the journal eLife that mRNA originating from ppk29 was regulating the mRNA from the sei gene. The regulatory component of ppk29 was identified as the untranslated 3' UTR end of the mRNA strand. When this section of ppk29 mRNA formed a double stranded segment with complementary DNA from sei it resulted in the destruction of the sei strand through the combination of the Dicer enzyme and RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex) assembly. Thus, the gene coding a sodium channel was found to regulate the expression of the potassium channel gene.

“Our findings show that mRNAS, which are typically thought to act solely as the template for protein translation, can also serve as regulatory RNAs, independent of their protein-coding capacity,” said Dr. Ben-Shahar. “They are not just messengers but also actors in their own right.”

Related Links:

Washington University School of Medicine


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
One Step HbA1c Measuring System
GREENCARE A1c
Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test
GPP-100 Anti-CCP Kit
New
Gold Member
Systemic Autoimmune Testing Assay
BioPlex 2200 ANA Screen with MDSS

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: MOF materials efficiently enrich cfDNA and cfRNA in blood through simple operational process (Photo courtesy of Science China Press)

Blood Circulating Nucleic Acid Enrichment Technique Enables Non-Invasive Liver Cancer Diagnosis

The ability to diagnose diseases early can significantly enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatments and improve survival rates. One promising approach for non-invasive early diagnosis is the use... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.