Analysis of endogenous small RNA pathways in C. elegans

DNA的单位，基因，是编码蛋白质的蓝图，蛋白质是细胞的基石和机器。信使RNA （mRNA）将遗传信息从基因传递到蛋白质。并不是所有的基因和相应的蛋白质在所有细胞中都有活性，而是不同的细胞“表达”不同的基因和蛋白质。特定基因的活性可以在mRNA生产水平或蛋白质生产水平上进行调节。近年来，涉及小rna的新机制在mRNA产生水平和mRNA稳定性水平上调控基因活性变得越来越明显。我们刚刚开始了解小rna调节基因活动的各种机制。我们发现了小rna在调节人类癌症中经常中断的细胞过程中的作用，即Ras信号转导途径。然而，我们不知道这种小RNA的靶标或机制。我们的实验室将确定这些小RNA如何调节Ras信号，以及潜在的识别对小RNA功能重要的新蛋白质，并揭示这些小RNA调节基因活性的潜在新机制。

Units of DNA, genes, are the blueprints that encode for proteins, which are the building blocks and machinery of the cell. Messenger RNA (mRNA) relays the genetic information from gene to protein. Not all genes and their corresponding proteins are active in all cells, rather different cells "express" a different array of genes and proteins. The activity of a particular gene can be regulated at the level of mRNA production or at the level of protein production. It has recently become apparent that new mechanisms involving small RNAs function to regulate gene activity at both the level of mRNA production and mRNA stability. We are just beginning to understand the various mechanisms by which small RNAs can regulate gene activity. We have uncovered a role for small RNAs in regulating a cellular process often disrupted in human cancers, the Ras signal transduction pathway. However, we do not know the target or the mechanism of this small RNA. Our lab will determine how theses small RNAs regulate Ras signaling, as well as potential identify new proteins important for small RNA function and uncover the potentially novel mechanism by which these small RNAs regulate gene activity.