Morpholinos: Difference between revisions
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Morpholinos are small [[oligomer|oligomers]] that are roughly 25 base pairs long, and they are used to block [[gene expression|gene expression]]. They are similar to [[DNA|DNA]] and [[RNA|RNA]] in structure and how they work, but posses a different back bone which is non ionic. | |||
This [[non-ionic|non-ionic]] back bone also means that morpholinos are less likely to interact non selectively with cellular [[protein|proteins]], and due to their back bone being different of that of a [[nucleic acid|nucleic acid]], it means that [[enzyme|enzymes]] that interact with [[Nucleotide|nucleotides]] ([[nuclease|nucleases]]) do not break it down and they are not degraded by [[cell|cells]]. | |||
They use [[Watson-Crick base pairing|Watson-Crick base pairing]] and bind to complementary [[nucleic acids|nucleic acids]]. The morpholinos can be used in variety of techniques such as translation blocking, they do this by binding to [[complementary base pairs|complementary base pairs]] on [[RNA|RNA]] and so stoping protein synthesis at the blocked sites. They can also be used for splice modification whereby they can change to [[MRNA|mRNA]] product by interfering with the splicing of the [[pre-mRNA|pre-mRNA]] (this usually happens by deletion of an [[Exon|exon]]). The morpholinos also prevent [[microRNA|microRNA]] from reaching its mature and active form by blocking the [[Dorsha cleavage site|Dorsha]] or [[Dicer cleavage site|Dicer cleavage sites]] <ref>http://network.nature.com/groups/morpholinos/forum/topics/500</ref><ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC138935/</ref>. | |||
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Revision as of 10:12, 20 November 2011
Morpholinos are small oligomers that are roughly 25 base pairs long, and they are used to block gene expression. They are similar to DNA and RNA in structure and how they work, but posses a different back bone which is non ionic.
This non-ionic back bone also means that morpholinos are less likely to interact non selectively with cellular proteins, and due to their back bone being different of that of a nucleic acid, it means that enzymes that interact with nucleotides (nucleases) do not break it down and they are not degraded by cells.
They use Watson-Crick base pairing and bind to complementary nucleic acids. The morpholinos can be used in variety of techniques such as translation blocking, they do this by binding to complementary base pairs on RNA and so stoping protein synthesis at the blocked sites. They can also be used for splice modification whereby they can change to mRNA product by interfering with the splicing of the pre-mRNA (this usually happens by deletion of an exon). The morpholinos also prevent microRNA from reaching its mature and active form by blocking the Dorsha or Dicer cleavage sites [1][2].
References