[An application of molecular cell biology to visualize and manipulate gene expressions of specific proteins in the neuroendocrine and pituitary systems].
Tremendous progress in molecular biology has made it possible to investigate the gene structure of proteins which maintain the internal environment of the living tissue. A wide variety of proteins is required for the diverse functions of the nervous and endocrine systems, because they contain a heterogeneous population of highly specialized cells. The proteins in the cell are all derived from specific genes which encode the sequences of amino acids through the process of gene expression. Four stages are involved in gene expression; transcription, processing of RNA, translation, and post-translational processing. In situ hybridization is a powerful technique to detect specific mRNA at the cellular level with microscopic resolution. Antisense method also has an impact upon gene expression. The basic idea of both in situ hybridization and antisense method is that nucleotides complementary to a specific mRNA will bind to the mRNA as a probe to detect its location or as an inhibitor to block processing or translation. In this paper, molecular cell biology, particularly in situ hybridization and antisense methods is described to localize the site of specific gene expression of biochemical messengers in the neuroendocrine and pituitary systems.
Kawata
M
M
Department of Anatomy, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
Ueda
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000378:metabolism*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats
D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger