Differential display analysis of gene expression in invertebrates

Screening for differentially expressed genes is a straightforward approach to study the molecular basis for changes in gene expression. Differential display analysis has been used by investigators in diverse fields of research since it was developed. Differential display has also been the approach of choice to investigate changes in gene expression in response to various biological challenges in invertebrates. We review the application of differential display analysis of gene expression in invertebrates, and provide a specific example using this technique for novel gene discovery in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.     

Differential display technology: a general guide

The 10 years since the invention of differential display technology (DD) has produced a massive amount of literature detailing problems and improvements to the technique, successful gene expression studies and studies done using genes found through the use of DD. In this review we summarise the results of 10 years of research that has focussed on improving DD and discuss how some of the problems associated with DD can be resolved or minimised. In addition to discussing DD, we address issues related to other differential gene expression analysis techniques and try to illustrate how these techniques can be used to complement one's use of DD. This review also serves as an introduction to the taxa-specific DD review articles that are found in this issue.     

Messenger RNA differential display strategies in birds and amphibians

As an inroad to the discovery of genes involved in important biological activities, various techniques have been developed for detecting genes based on their expression levels. Arbitrary amplification of different messenger RNA (mRNA) populations and their comparison on display autoradiograms made mRNA differential display one of the most straightforward approaches to identification of differentially regulated mRNAs. Over the past decade this strategy has been employed in many in vitro and in vivo systems. The use of the method in bird and amphibian model systems is reviewed here, emphasizing several unique combinations of model system and design of differential display screen.     

PCR快速检测常见具有毒性质粒的沙门氏菌

针对常见具毒性质粒的沙门氏菌的spvR基因，设计出PCR特异引物spvRP35-P36，以便快速检测出具有毒性质粒的沙门氏菌。验证采用13株沙门氏菌和4株非沙门氏菌，其中6株常见具有毒性质粒的沙门氏菌均获得特异性扩增，7株不舍毒性质粒的沙门氏菌均未获得特异性扩增，4株非沙门氏茵检测结果为阴性。结果表明，本文中设计的引物具有高度的特异性，适用于常见具有毒性质粒沙门氏菌的快速检测，此引物已获国家发明专利。     

Role of microRNAs in malignant mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive tumor, mainly derived from the pleura, which is predominantly associated with exposure to asbestos fibers. The prognosis of MM patients is particularly severe, with a median survival of approximately 9–12 months and latency between exposure and diagnosis ranging from 20–50 years (median 30 years). Emerging evidence has demonstrated that tumor aggressiveness is associated with genome and gene expression abnormalities; therefore, several studies have recently focused on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in MM tumorigenesis. miRNAs are small non-protein coding single-stranded RNAs (17–22 nucleotides) involved in numerous cellular processes that negatively regulate gene expression by modulating the expression of downstream target genes. miRNAs are often deregulated in cancer; in particular, the differential miRNA expression profiles of MM cells compared to unaffected mesothelial cells have suggested potential roles of miRNAs as either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in MM oncogenesis. In this review, the mechanism of MM carcinogenesis was evaluated through the analysis of the published miRNA expression data. The roles of miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and prognostic factors for potential therapeutic strategies will be presented and discussed.     

Recent advances in the development of new transgenic animal technology

Transgenic animal technology is one of the fastest growing biotechnology areas. It is used to integrate exogenous genes into the animal genome by genetic engineering technology so that these genes can be inherited and expressed by offspring. The transgenic efficiency and precise control of gene expression are the key limiting factors in the production of transgenic animals. A variety of transgenic technologies are available. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages and needs further study because of unresolved technical and safety issues. Further studies will allow transgenic technology to explore gene function, animal genetic improvement, bioreactors, animal disease models, and organ transplantation. This article reviews the recently developed animal transgenic technologies, including the germ line stem cell-mediated method to improve efficiency, gene targeting to improve accuracy, RNA interference-mediated gene silencing technology, zinc-finger nuclease gene targeting technology and induced pluripotent stem cell technology. These new transgenic techniques can provide a better platform to develop transgenic animals for breeding new animal varieties and promote the development of medical sciences, livestock production, and other fields.