title: Silencing of genes in cultured Drosophila neurons by RNA interference.
abstract: Cultures of neuroblasts that generate abundant neurons were established from Drosophila embryos to study silencing of genes by RNA interference (RNAi). Cultured cells expressed ELAV, a marker of neurons, Futsch, a marker of neurites, and Synapsin, Synaptobrevin, and Synaptogamin, proteins involved in neurotransmitter secretion. Conditions were found for efficient transfection of cells with siRNAs for ELAV or the insulin-like receptor, which resulted in marked decreases in neurons that express ELAV and Futsch. Cells also were successfully transfected with long-chain Sox-Neuro dsRNA resulting in a 55% reduction of neurons expressing Futsch. The results suggest that this cultured neural cell system can be used to study RNAi-dependent silencing of genes involved in many kinds of neural functions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Shail K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Marshall
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nirenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051959:ELAV Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051959:ELAV Proteins; C498009:ELAV protein, Drosophila; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C409635:futsch protein, Drosophila; D011972:Receptor, Insulin