Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.6 (RNA polymerase)
34,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

RNA interference is an evolutionarily conserved process of gene silencing that in plants serves as a natural defense mechanism against exogenous viral agents. RNA interference is becoming an important tool for the study of biological processes through reverse genetics and has potential for therapeutic applications in humans; however, effective delivery is still a major issue. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) have been introduced into cells by transfection of chemically synthesized and RNA expression via plasmid cassettes utilizing RNA polymerase III transcription. The employment of siRNA/shRNA for gene knockout requires an efficient stable transfection or transduction process. Here, we report the successful construction of lentiviral vectors to express shRNA stably in human cells. We demonstrate that lentiviral vectors expressing siRNA directed to the reporter gene luciferase, when stably transduced into human cells without drug selection, are capable of protecting the cells from infection by a lentiviral vector encoding humanized firefly luciferase as a reporter gene. We observed 16- to 43-fold reduction of gene expression in infected cells transduced with shRNA vectors relative to cells transduced with control vectors. This model system demonstrates the utility of lentiviral vectors to stably express shRNA as both a cellular gene knockout tool and as a means to inhibit exogenous infectious agents such as viruses in human cells.
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PMID:Efficient lentiviral vectors for short hairpin RNA delivery into human cells. 1290 71

Coronavirus genomes are the largest known autonomously replicating RNAs with a size of ca. 30 kb. They are of positive polarity and are translated to produce the viral proteins needed for the assembly of an active replicase-transcriptase complex. In addition to replicating the genomic RNA, a key feature of this complex is a unique transcription process that results in the synthesis of a nested set of six to eight subgenomic mRNAs. These subgenomic mRNAs are produced in constant but nonequimolar amounts and, in general, each is translated to produce a single protein. To take advantage of these features, we have developed a multigene expression vector based on human coronavirus 229E. We have constructed a prototype RNA vector containing the 5' and 3' ends of the human coronavirus genome, the entire human coronavirus replicase gene, and three reporter genes (i.e., the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase [CAT] gene, the firefly luciferase [LUC] gene, and the green fluorescent protein [GFP] gene). Each reporter gene is located downstream of a human coronavirus transcription-associated sequence, which is required for the synthesis of individual subgenomic mRNAs. The transfection of vector RNA and human coronavirus nucleocapsid protein mRNA into BHK-21 cells resulted in the expression of the CAT, LUC, and GFP reporter proteins. Sequence analysis confirmed the synthesis of coronavirus-specific mRNAs encoding CAT, LUC, and GFP. In addition, we have shown that human coronavirus-based vector RNA can be packaged into virus-like particles that, in turn, can be used to transduce immature and mature human dendritic cells. In summary, we describe a new class of eukaryotic, multigene expression vectors that are based on the human coronavirus 229E and have the ability to transduce human dendritic cells.
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PMID:Multigene RNA vector based on coronavirus transcription. 1294 87

We have constructed four different RNA polymerase III (Pol III)-based expression vectors, containing H1 or U6 promoters from human and mouse, which enable the endogenous production of small RNA transcripts for gene silencing applications. In addition, to facilitate the selection of recombinant clones, we have further improved these vectors by constructing a stuffer of puromycin resistance gene (Puro(r)) between ClaI and HindIII sites, which makes the preparation of vectors easy for rapid and efficient cloning of targeting sequences. A comparative analysis of the silencing efficiency between shRNA, sense-RNA, antisense-RNA, and siRNA showed that both the shRNA and siRNA, but not the sense-RNA and antisense-RNA, dramatically inhibit the targeting gene firefly luciferase activity in mammalian cells. However, there were no significant differences in the inhibition of firefly luciferase expression by shRNA and siRNA expressed from these DNA vectors. In summary, these improved DNA vector-based RNAi systems should provide a simple, convenient, and efficient cloning strategy for studying gene functions in mammalian cells.
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PMID:Simple and efficient DNA vector-based RNAi systems in mammalian cells. 1578 Dec 31

The use of influenza A virus-inducible reporter gene segments in detecting influenza A virus replication was investigated. The RNA polymerase I promoter/terminator cassette was used to express RNA transcripts encoding green fluorescence protein or firefly luciferase flanked by the untranslated regions of the influenza A/WSN/33 nucleoprotein (NP) segment. Reporter gene activity was detected after reconstitution of the influenza A virus polymerase complex from cDNA or after virus infection, and was influenza A virus-specific. Reporter gene activity could be detected as early as 6 h post-infection and was virus dose-dependent. Inhibitory effects of antibodies or amantadine could be detected and quantified rapidly, providing a means of not only identifying influenza A virus-specific replication, but also of determining the antigenic subtype as well as antiviral drug susceptibility. Induction of virus-specific reporter genes provides a rapid, sensitive method for detecting virus replication, quantifying virus titers and assessing antiviral sensitivity as well as antigenic subtype.
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PMID:Virus-inducible reporter genes as a tool for detecting and quantifying influenza A virus replication. 1584 14

RNA polymerase III promoters of human ribonuclease P RNA component H1, human U6, and mouse U6 small nuclear RNA genes are commonly used in short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression vectors due their precise initiation and termination sites. During transient transfection of shRNA vectors, we observed that H1 or U6 promoters also express longer transcripts enough to express several reporter genes including firefly luciferase, green fluorescent protein EGFP, and red fluorescent protein JRed. Expression of such longer transcripts was augmented by upstream RNA polymerase II enhancers and completely inhibited by downstream polyA signal sequences. Moreover, the transcription of firefly luciferase from human H1 promoter was sensitive to RNA polymerase II inhibitor alpha-amanitin. Our findings suggest that commonly used polymerase III promoters in shRNA vectors are also prone to RNA polymerase II mediated transcription, which may have negative impacts on their targeted use.
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PMID:RNA polymerase II mediated transcription from the polymerase III promoters in short hairpin RNA expression vector. 1630 Jul 30

RNA interference (RNAi) is an extremely powerful and widely used gene silencing approach for reverse functional genomics and molecular therapeutics. In mammals, the conserved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 2 (PARP-2)/RNase P bidirectional control promoter simultaneously expresses both the PARP-2 protein and RNase P RNA by RNA polymerase II- and III-dependent mechanisms, respectively. To explore this unique bidirectional control system in RNAi-mediated gene silencing strategy, we have constructed two novel bidirectional expression vectors, pbiHsH1 and pbiMmH1, which contained the PARP-2/RNase P bidirectional control promoters from human and mouse, for simultaneous expression of both the protein-coding genes and short hairpin RNAs. Analyses of the dual transcriptional activities indicated that these two bidirectional expression vectors could not only express enhanced green fluorescent protein as a functional reporter but also simultaneously transcribe shLuc for inhibiting the firefly luciferase expression. In addition, to extend its utility for the establishment of inherited stable clones, we have also reconstructed this bidirectional expression system with the blasticidin S deaminase gene, an effective dominant drug resistance selectable marker, and examined both the selection and inhibition efficiencies in drug resistance and gene expression. Moreover, we have further demonstrated that this bidirectional expression system could efficiently co-regulate the functionally important genes, such as overexpression of tumor suppressor protein p53 and inhibition of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 at the same time. In summary, the bidirectional expression vectors, pbiHsH1 and pbiMmH1, should provide a simple, convenient, and efficient novel tool for manipulating the gene function in mammalian cells.
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PMID:A novel bidirectional expression system for simultaneous expression of both the protein-coding genes and short hairpin RNAs in mammalian cells. 1633 9

Production of human papillomavirus type 16 major capsid protein L1 in undifferentiated cells is negatively regulated by several yet unidentified cis-acting inhibitory RNA elements, among which a major element is located within the first 514 nucleotides of the L1-mRNA. By Northern blotting we examined effect of the major element on the steady-state level of mRNA transiently transcribed in 293T cells from the firefly luciferase (Fluc) gene combined with the L1 DNA fragment encoding the major element. As reported previously, the element down-regulated steady-state level of the mRNA. The most efficient down-regulation was achieved by insertion of the element near the 5' end of mRNA, resulting in an undetectable level of the mRNA. The longer the distance from the 5' end of the mRNA to the element, the weaker the down-regulation. The half-life of the mRNA having the element was similar to that of normal Fluc-mRNA. When the element near the 5' end was removed by splicing, the steady-state level of the resultant mRNA was raised to a readily detectable level. The steady-state level of RNA synthesized by RNA polymerase-I was not influenced by the presence of the element. Taken together, it is suggested that DNA region encoding the major inhibitory element does not disturb transcription and that the pre-mRNA is degraded by an RNA element-mediated mechanism after the splicing step in the course of mRNA maturation.
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PMID:Inhibitory cis-element-mediated decay of human papillomavirus type 16 L1-transcript in undifferentiated cells. 1658 40

RNA interference (RNAi) has become a powerful tool for the specific silencing of gene transcription. Especially the targeting of genes in mammalian cells has been greatly improved by generating plasmid based and viral vector-based systems. This permits expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) on a longterm basis. However, an inducible expression of shRNA is required, if the target is essential for cell survival. We developed a doxycycline-inducible two-plasmid system for the expression of a ribozyme-processed shRNA. In contrast to other existing systems, we use the highly specific T7 phage RNA polymerase, which does not interact with cellular factors; therefore, interference with cellular functions is limited. One plasmid is responsible for doxycycline-dependent expression of T7 RNA polymerase and a second plasmid expresses a ribozyme-processed shRNA under the control of a T7 promoter. Our results showed that doxycycline- dependent expression of T7 RNA polymerase was tightly controlled and expression of an shRNA against firefly luciferase inhibited 86% of luciferase activity. In conclusion, our plasmid system provides a very useful tool for analyzing essential gene functions in vitro.
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PMID:An inducible T7 RNA polymerase-dependent plasmid system. 1669 Oct 2

Akabane virus (AKAV) causes epizootic congenital deformities in cattle, sheep, and goats. Due to the lack of a complete genome sequence, the molecular biological properties of this virus are not known. We have cloned and sequenced the functional large (L) RNA segment of AKAV, and shown that it has polymerase activity using a minireplicon system with RNA polymerase I. The complete L RNA segment is 6868 nucleotides long and encodes an L protein of 2251 amino acids, which functions as an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. A minireplicon reporter plasmid was constructed by flanking either the firefly luciferase or the green fluorescent protein gene in the antisense orientation with the 5'- and 3'-terminal noncoding regions of the small RNA segment. HmLu-1 cells were transfected with the reporter plasmid, and the L protein and nucleoprotein (N protein) expression plasmids. The reporter activity was upregulated in a dose-dependent manner with increasing concentration of either the L or N protein expression plasmid. Furthermore, the reporter activity could be downregulated by the AKAV NSs protein as well as by other orthobunyaviruses. These results show that the AKAV minireplicon system is a powerful tool for studying transcription and for rescuing infectious viruses from cloned cDNAs.
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PMID:Sequence determination and functional analysis of the Akabane virus (family Bunyaviridae) L RNA segment. 1721 38

We present the assembly of gene brushes by means of a photolithographic approach that allows us to control the density of end-immobilized linear double-stranded DNA polymers coding for entire genes. For 2 kbp DNAs, the mean distance varies from 300 nm, where DNAs are dilute and assume relaxed conformations, down to 30 nm, where steric repulsion at dense packing forces stretching out. We investigated the gene-to-protein relationship of firefly luciferase under the T7/E.Coli-extract expression system, as well as transcription-only reactions with T7 RNA polymerase, and found both systems to be highly sensitive to brush density, conformation, and orientation. A 'structure-function' picture emerges in which extension of genes induced by moderate packing exposes coding sequences and improves their interaction with the transcription/translation machinery. However, tighter packing impairs the penetration of the machinery into the brush. The response of expression to two-dimensional gene crowding at the nanoscale identifies gene brushes as basic controllable units en route to multicomponent synthetic systems. In turn, these brushes could deepen our understanding of biochemical reactions taking place under confinement and molecular crowding in living cells.
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PMID:Synthetic gene brushes: a structure-function relationship. 1841 82


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