PUBLICATION
Validating microRNA Target Transcripts Using Zebrafish Assays
- Authors
- Pase, L., and Lieschke, G.J.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-090424-7
- Date
- 2009
- Source
- Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 546: 227-240 (Chapter)
- Registered Authors
- Lieschke, Graham J., Pase, Luke
- Keywords
- microRNAs, RNA, small interfering, Transient transgenesis, RNA duplex, Microscopy, fluorescence, Microinjections, Zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- 3' Untranslated Regions/metabolism
- Animals
- Biological Assay/methods*
- Down-Regulation
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Genes, Reporter
- Green Fluorescent Proteins
- Male
- MicroRNAs/physiology*
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/biosynthesis
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics
- Substrate Specificity
- Transcription, Genetic
- Validation Studies as Topic*
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 19378107 Full text @ Meth. Mol. Biol.
Citation
Pase, L., and Lieschke, G.J. (2009) Validating microRNA Target Transcripts Using Zebrafish Assays. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 546:227-240.
Abstract
Hundreds of tiny noncoding RNAs known as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified in the genomes of plants and animals. Studies are increasingly demonstrating that individual miRNAs are important in normal development and physiology. miRNAs are regulators of gene expression that bind target mRNAs and modulate their translation and turnover. The specificity of this regulation is achieved by partial sequence complementarity between the miRNA and its target mRNA. Understanding which mRNAs are targeted by each particular microRNA is critical to an understanding of the biologic role of any particular miRNA. Bioinformatic approaches can be used to predict mRNAs that may be miRNA targets, but each of these predictions requires experimental validation. We describe a method for a reporter assay based on a fluorescence intensity readout that uses transient techniques in zebrafish to easily deliver the reporter assay components. In addition, we describe a rigorously controlled strategy for determining the bona fide miRNA binding sites in the 3'UTR of mRNAs.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping