Gene knockdown is a technique that makes it possible to reduce the expression of one or several genes by changing the corresponding nucleotide sequence, or by using a short oligonucleotide complementary to the corresponding mRNA molecule. The gene knockdown method is a reverse genetics method. In the case when the gene sequence changes, the organism is called a knockout for this gene. In the case of using short oligonucleotides complementary to the corresponding mRNA or binding to the nucleotide sequence in DNA , knockdown of the gene leads to a temporary change in the parameters of gene expression, without making changes in the structure of chromosomes and the DNA sequence of the gene.
In the case of a short-term knockdown, the binding of an oligonucleotide to a gene or transcripts, lowers expression due to blocking transcription , translation or degradation of mRNA (for example, via RNA interference ), pre-mRNA splicing can also be disrupted. [1] [2] Researchers study the effect of turning off a gene or reducing its expression on the phenotype of an organism and are compared to normal individuals. Short-term knockdowns of genes are often used in developmental biology, since oligonucleotides can easily be introduced into a zygote and will get into all daughter cells during embryonic development. [3]
Notes
- ↑ Summerton, J. Morpholino, siRNA, and S-DNA Compared: ( Med. Chem. ) . : journal. - 2007. - Vol. 7 , no. 7 - P. 651-660 .
- ↑ Summerton, J. Morpholino Antisense Oligomers: The Case for an RNase-H Independent Structural Type (Eng.) // Biochimica et Biophysica Acta : journal. - 1999. - Vol. 1489 , no. 1 . - P. 141-158 . - PMID 10807004 .
- ↑ Nasevicius, A; Ekker SC Effective targeted gene 'knockdown' in zebrafish (eng.) // Nature Genetics : journal. - 2000. - Vol. 26 , no. 2 - P. 216-220 . - DOI : 10.1038 / 79951 . - PMID 11017081 .
See also
- Gene knockout