Regulation of gene expression by microRNAs

摘要

The discovery of small non-coding RNAs capable of repressing, silencing, or even enhancing gene expression continues to intrigue researchers who study the regulation of gene expression. One of the original discoverers of microRNAs, Dr V. Ambros of Dartmouth Medical School, USA, is currently applying TaqMan-based real-time PCR assays in the investigation of how microRNAs influence the fate and development of cells in Drosophila and C. elegans models. This article describes his work in this field and also his recent work on human brain cancer tumours carried out in collaboration with Dr M Israel of the Norris Cotton Cancer Centre, USA.