In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 7 ( 2018-08-09)
Kurzfassung:
Organisms have tens of thousands of genes, but finding out exactly what they all do is one of the greatest challenges of modern genetics. To understand a gene’s job, it’s necessary to find out what gene is active in which tissue, where their proteins are located within the cell, and what happens when the sequence of a gene is altered or removed. This multi-step process of ‘annotating’ genes can be challenging in practice. One common approach is to make use of a DNA pattern called a MiMIC and insert it in a specific part of the gene called an intron. A tag for a protein that glows green under the microscope can then be added to a MiMIC to help visualize where and when the protein is being expressed. MiMICs can also be used to integrate a system called T2A-GAL4, which typically creates a severe mutation in the gene and allows to track the timing of when and where the gene is expressed. This helps to discover the role of the gene in cells and tissues. However, a problem with this approach is that when either the protein tag or the T2A-GAL4 system is added, half of the time they point into the wrong direction. This is because each DNA strand is read in one direction only. Now, Li-Kroeger et al. created a so-called ‘Double Header’ system, which includes T2A-GAL4 coding in one direction and the protein tag in the other. Therefore, when the system integrates, there will always be one tag pointing in the correct direction. This makes the system twice as efficient. Not all genes have introns though. To access genes that do not contain introns, Li-Kroeger et al. developed another system, which uses the genome editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to introduce a different kind of visible marker. Here, the whole gene is typically removed and replaced by a visible marker, which can then be replaced by any DNA, including protein tags and the T2A-GAL4 system. With these approaches, all genes in the fruit fly can now be targeted. The systems perform several tasks, including detecting gene activity and the location of proteins in the cell, and analyzing the role of the protein. The findings will be relevant to researchers interested in fruit fly genetics and cell function.
Materialart:
Online-Ressource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.003
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.004
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.005
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.009
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.011
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.012
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.013
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.014
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.015
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.016
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.017
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.018
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.022
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.38709.023
Sprache:
Englisch
Verlag:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publikationsdatum:
2018
ZDB Id:
2687154-3
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