Scientists at University of Pennsylvania detail research in RNA research
2009 JUL 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to a study from the United States, "Cellular phenotype is the conglomerate of multiple cellular processes involving gene and protein expression that result in the elaboration of a cell's particular morphology and function. It has been thought that differentiated postmitotic cells have their genomes hard wired, with little ability for phenotypic plasticity." "Here we show that transfer of the transcriptome from differentiated rat astrocytes into a nondividing differentiated rat neuron resulted in the conversion of the neuron into a functional astrocyte-like cell in a time-dependent manner. This single-cell study permits high resolution of molecular and functional components that underlie phenotype identity. The RNA population from astrocytes contains RNAs in the appropriate relative abundances that give rise to regulatory RNAs and translated proteins that enable astrocyte identity. When transferred into the postmitotic neuron, the astrocyte RNA population converts 44% of the neuronal host cells into the destination astrocyte-like phenotype. In support of this observation, quantitative measures of cellular morphology, single-cell PCR, single-cell microarray, and single-cell functional analyses have been performed. The host-cell phenotypic changes develop over many weeks and are persistent," wrote J.Y. Sul and colleagues, University of Pennsylvania. The researchers concluded: "We call this process of RNA-induced phenotype changes, transcriptome-induced phenotype remodeling." Sul and colleagues published the results of their research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Transcriptome transfer produces a predictable cellular phenotype. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2009;106(18):7624-7629). For additional information, contact J. Eberwine, University of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Pharmacology, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. The publisher of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America can be contacted at: National Acad Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418, USA. Keywords: United States, Philadelphia, Protein Expression, Proteins, Proteomics, RNA Research, University of Pennsylvania. This article was prepared by Genomics & Genetics Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Genomics & Genetics Weekly via NewsRx.com.
|
