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 […]
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 […]
Imprints Can Be a Real TurnoffJune 24, 2009For at least 100 genes, only one of its alleles can be expressed right from the get-go while the other allele is shut down. This imprinted pattern remains throughout development. While cis-acting epigenetic elements have been implicated in the process, the research community doesn’t have enough evidence to conclusively pin the blame on any one. […]
tasiRNAs Get the Word OutJune 24, 2009Spreading gossip around the water cooler is OK, but some news just has to be shouted from the mountaintops. These days, that means it’ll be posted to our blog, Twitter feed, and Facebook status box. Researchers at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Institut des Sciences du Végétal, and Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes report […]
Zeroing in on miRNA Targets with HITS-CLIPJune 24, 2009With only a modest, 6-8 nucleotide seed region required for pairing, miRNAs theoretically aren’t too fussy when it comes to which mRNAs they pair up with. But don’t let this apparent “beer goggle” regulation fool you. When it comes down to miRNA binding in vivo, miRNAs might be a little more discriminating than previously suggested. […]
miRNA qRT-PCR Data Normalization Gets MeanJune 23, 2009Although qRT-PCR has become a popular way to profile miRNAs, it has a dirty little secret that nobody likes to talk much about; data normalization. Without convenient “housekeeping genes” to use as internal references, like you would with mRNAs, researchers have had to settle for second rate options to normalize data from miRNA experiments. A […]
Move Over MeDIP: Methyl Binding Proteins Enrich Methylation StudiesJune 18, 2009Since their debut with tiling microarrays back in 2005, DNA methylation affinity reagents have rapidly become a weapon of choice for prepping samples for genome-wide methylation studies. In the last few years enrichment methods have evolved almost as rapidly as the technology platforms on which they’re analyzed. Let’s take a look at some of the […]
Gene Bodies Take the “Hot Bod” Title for 2009June 18, 2009Like many other websites looking to boost their traffic, we couldn’t resist calling attention to a few hot bodies. Back in the day, Golgi Bodies were a hot research focus, and for good reason–these mini protein boot camps put the final touches on our critical cellular proteins before sending them on to their job assignments. […]