( t has the reverse sequence as the origi...)Mammalian Transcriptome Mapped

Antisense RNA transcripts can exert function because they can bind to the RNA transcripts for which they are complementary messengers and modulate their expression into proteins. In fact, synthetic antisense molecules have been widely used to inhibit conventional genes, including applications as anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs, which are currently on the market or in clinical trials.

With such a widespread occurrence of antisense sequences, says Wahlestedt, the transcriptional landscape of mammals shows this same principle may be used by nature on a massive scale to extensively modulate the gene expression within in our cells.

It's still unclear whether the majority of antisense sequences are involved in regulation or in some other biology, he adds, but this result is likely to fuel research for years to come.

The article, "Antisense Transcription in the Mammalian Genome" is authored by S. Katayama, Y. Tomaru, T. Kasukawa, K. Waki, M. Nakanishi, M. Nakamura, H. Nishida, C.C. Yap, M. Suzuki, P. Carninci, Y. Hayashizaki, C. Wells, M. Frith, T. Ravasi, K.C. Pang, J. Hallinan, J. Mattick, D.A. Hume, L. Lipovich, P.G. Engstrom, Y. Mizuno, M.A. Faghihi, A. Sandelin, A.M. Chalk, S. Mottagui-Tabar, Z. Liang, B. Lenhard and C. Wahlestedt and appears in the September 2, 2005 issue of the journal Science. See: www.sciencemag.org.

This work was primarily supported by a Research Grant for the Genome Network Project from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT), the RIKEN Genome Exploration Research Project from MEXT, Advanced and Innovational Research Program in Life Science, National Project on Protein Structural and Functional Analysis from MEXT, Presidential Research Grant for Intersystem Collaboration of RIKEN, Scripps Florida and grants from the Swedish Research Council and from the Wallenberg Foundation of Sweden on natural antisense t
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Source:Scripps Research Institute