title: Functional gene-discovery systems based on libraries of hammerhead and hairpin ribozymes and short hairpin RNAs.
abstract: Abundant information about the nucleotide sequence of the human genome has become readily available and it is now necessary to develop methods for the identification of genes that are involved in important cellular, developmental and disease-related processes. Identification methods based on the activities of hammerhead and hairpin ribozymes and of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), whose target specificities are coupled with loss-of-function phenotypes, have received increasing attention as possible tools for the rapid identification of key genes involved in such processes. We describe here recent advances that have been made with libraries of ribozymes and shRNAs and compare the advantages of the different types of library. The use of such libraries has already revealed new details of several important physiological phenomena.
authors.affiliation: Gene Function Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Science City, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taira
mesh_terms: D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C427204:hammerhead ribozyme; D012313:RNA