Category Archives: Non-coding RNA

Detecting Gene Doping in Sports: MicroRNA biomarker sought

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Nicole Kelesoglu

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has committed $50 million US dollars to research since 2001 (see their grant applications & projects here).  Since 2007, some of those research funds have gone to the emerging problem of gene doping. Read about the first public evidence of gene doping, from the trial of the German track coach Thomas Springstein., in the NYT article Outlaw DNA. So what is gene doping? WADA defines it as “the transfer of nucleic acids or nucleic acid sequences’ and/or ‘the use of normal or genetically modified cells with the intention to enhance sports performance.” Gene doping is based on a vector containing a therapeutic gene coupled with a regulatory element, delivered to somatic cells either in, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Models, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Transcriptome, microRNA | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Viral MicroRNA Mimicing Cellular MicroRNA? and a New Dual-Fluuorescent Reporter System

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Nicole Kelesoglu

A team out of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has reported both a new dual-fluorescent reporter system, and an insight on a suspected general phenomenon of functionally matched viral and cellular microRNA in viral-host interactions. You X, Zhang Z, Fan J, Cui Z, Zhang X-E (2012) Functionally Orthologous Viral and Cellular MicroRNAs Studied by a Novel Dual-Fluorescent Reporter System. PLoS ONE 7(4): e36157. Now for context, the gist of what’s known about microRNAs (miRNA) is that they can be thought of as epigenetic post-transcriptional volume control. Modulating…fine tuning…dialling gene expression up or down.   MicroRNAs are ~18-24 nucleotide molecules that are processed from long, highly evolutionarily conserved sequences in organisms and viruses. Such pre-miRNA sequences are located at protein gene introns, … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomarkers, Cellular Biology, Imaging, Immunology, Leukemia, Microbial Epigenetics, New Lab Methods, Non-coding RNA, Oncogenes, Virology, microRNA | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s not over until the RNA sings…

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Nicole Kelesoglu

Epigenetic regulation is accomplished by a series of interdependent systems. It’s overall effect on gene expression is often compared to a musical composition. Today I’m thinking of opera in particular…since I’m proud to say that my uncle Robert Aldridge just won a Grammy for best contemporary classical composition. Bravo Uncle Bob! So you probably know the silly old saying, “It’s not over till the fat lady sings”, right? There are numerous well studied roles in the epigenetic opera….modifications of DNA, chromatin and histones, enzymes activities like DNA and protein methyltransferase, etc….but today let’s think of RNA expression as the grand finale. Once a gene has been physically exposed through modifications to chromatin and histone structural proteins, and expression takes place…those … Continue reading →

Posted in Bioinformatics, Cell Culture Models, Cellular Biology, Gene Regulation, Gene Silencing, Histone Modification Assay, Non-coding RNA, chIP, siRNA | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Clock that Ticks Methylations & the Epigenetics of Aging

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Chris Womack

To my mild shame, I watched a little of the Oscars the other night. We’re all familiar with many of these folks, but we don’t see them very often, so it’s especially striking as they age from svelte starlet to grand dame, or what have you. The stages seem to come in rapid succession. Ol’ Nick Nolte just turned 72! He was way more spry — but equally gruff — 30 years ago, in the 1982 hit 48 Hours. And how he’s changed since those hijinks of only 10 years ago. (See, it’s not always for the worse.) So what’s different about Nick Nolte’s epigenome now, versus when he played opposite wise-cracking trickster Eddie Murphy? Could you guess his age … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomarkers, DNA Methylation, Gene Regulation, Genomewide Methylation Profiling, Methyltransferases, Stem Cells, microRNA | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cellular Trash to Treasure – Exosomes

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Nicole Kelesoglu

Blood-Based Gene Expression Signatures in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Clin Cancer Res. 2011 May 15 Thomas Zander, Andrea Hofmann, Andrea Staratschek-Jox, et al has been big in the international news recently. The authors are aiming to develop an RNA-stabilized blood test for asymptomatic lung cancer, using gene expression profiles, from what they believe to be immune effector blood cells – not cancer cells. The prognosis for lung cancer once you already have symptoms, is terrible. Their work is great news because this kind of non-invasive diagnostic test is desperately needed. However, there is another promising approach to transcriptome signature diagnostics to be aware of…Microvesicle shuttled RNA. Microvesicles, (MV), were once considered just cellular debris. We now know that blood, and many … Continue reading →

Posted in Applications, Biomarkers, Clinical Studies, Diagnostics, Flow Cytometry, Genetics, History & Trends, Next Gen Sequencing, Oncology, Pathology, Real-time PCR, Virology, microRNA, siRNA | Leave a comment

Epigenetics, Eh! to Promote Canadian Collaboration

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Nicole Kelesoglu

Late registration is still available online for Epigenetics Eh!, the Canadian Conference on Epigenetics, which is taking place in London, Ontario from May 4 to May 7th, 2011. Part of the stated mission for this conference is to promote a Canadian Epigenetics Research Network (EPIGENETICS CANADA). The epigenetic research areas of the speakers for this conference include, but are not limited to the following. Diabetes Early detection of cancer Leukemia Pluripotency in ES cells Proteomics to study protein import into the nucleus Genomic CNV and epigenetic changes in Neurobehavioral disorders Chromatin factors in brain development Molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate specification, proliferation, and differentiation of neural stem cells Genomic imprinting X chromosome inactivation Dicer expression and/or microRNA function. ING family … Continue reading →

Posted in Applications, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Cellular Biology, Chromatin Structure, DNA Methylation, Developmental Biology, Divergent Transcription, Evolutionary Epigenetics, Gene Regulation, Gene Silencing, Genetics, Hematology, Histone Modifications, Leukemia, Neuroscience, Non-coding RNA, Plant Epigenetics, Reproductive Biology, Stem Cells, Translational Research, chIP, siRNA | 2 Comments

Evaluating Multiple Biomarker Signatures – a Translational Science Endeavor

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Nicole Kelesoglu

Let’s chat about how important it is to consider epigenetics in the context of nature’s conversations – so to speak.  The systems biology research model assesses complex diseases by considering the interactions amongst multiple layers of dynamic biological processes.   When it comes to biomarkers for personalized medicine, the endgame will be defining values to the multiple types of profile signatures (i.e genomic, epigenomic, proteomic, etc) in the story.  Quite the project.  The trend here is to have collaboration conversations. If you are interested, please take time to read this brilliant review on blood based diagnostics, Emerging biomarkers-blood-based strategies to detect and monitor cancer. by Hanash, Baik & Kallioniemi.  Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology (March 2011).The authors suggest a causal model for … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomarkers, Diagnostics, History & Trends, Mass Spec, Oncology, Personalized Medicine, Translational Research, microRNA | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Deacetylation Makes Sense

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Chris Womack

Using their new NET-seq technique in S. cerevisiae, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers recently found a new role for histone acetylation that adds yet another layer of complexity to RNA transcription regulation—local acetyl modifications apparently allow RNA polymerase to make anti-sense transcripts upstream of a gene, while the deacetylating enzyme complex Rpd3S keeps transcription going in the sense direction. Along with previous findings, the experiments demonstrate that “the primary function of the Rpd3S histone deacetylase complex seems to be to enforce promoter directionality,” write HHMI’s Stirling Churchman and Jonathan Weissman in the Jan. 20 Nature. The paper also provides in vivo support of earlier observations that RNA polymerase tends to pause at histones along a DNA template, giving cellular machinery … Continue reading →

Posted in Applications, Divergent Transcription, New Lab Methods, Non-coding RNA, microRNA | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment