HIV’s RISC-y BehaviorJuly 1, 2009There’s nothing restricting miRNAs to targeting just endogenous mRNAs. So it’s no surprise to find that expression of miR-29a – which targets the 3’UTR of HIV-1 mRNA — increases during HIV infection. Researchers from U Mass Med School in Worchester, and the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, found that HIV mRNA hangs […]
Erring on the Side of Calling: Sequencing Mismatches Highlight RNA EditingJuly 1, 2009To err is enzymatic; to identify errors previously thought to be technical, but are actually biologically relevant, is divine. Most researchers view the sequencing errors from reverse transcription, sequencing reaction, or base calling part of the job. After all, with the mountains of sequence pouring off these platforms, one would expect and accept a few […]
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just GOmir)July 1, 2009Figuring out the targets of your favorite miRNA is no simple matter, and if it ranks somewhere between cleaning the bathroom and a trip to the dentist on your list, then you’ll want to check out a new java-based tool called GOmir which makes the miRNA target analysis experience a little less painful. A group […]
Bulletproof Your Bisulfite Conversion with Zymo’s EZ DNA Methylation-Startup™ KitJune 29, 2009Instant Methylation Data: Just Add DNA With new systems like Zymo’s EZ DNA Methylation-Startup™Kit, it’s easier than ever to get up and converting in no time. So if your lab has been plugging away looking at chromatin modifications or miRNA profiles and want to cross over and see how DNA methylation is involved, you don’t have […]
Lincd In: Large Intervening Non-Coding RNAs Expand their NetworksJune 25, 2009Last February, a team of standouts from the publication factory in Boston (aka Broad Institute), published work highlighting over 1,500 previously un-annotated genomic sequences that housed large intervening non-coding RNAs known as lincRNAs. These transcripts showed similar expression patterns as mRNA and they exhibited more conservation than neutral sequences, indicating they were probably functional, but […]
