Rnai And Microrna Mediated Gene Regulation In Stem Cells

This cutting-edge text will be a valuable resource for scientists and aspiring graduate students interested in the intersection of RNAi, miRNA, and stem cell molecular biology and exciting areas of research such as regenerative medicine and cancer.

This volume explores some of the most exciting recent advances in basic research on cellular RNA interference mechanisms and how this knowledge is leading to advances in the various fields. This series provides a forum for discussion of new discoveries, approaches, and ideas Contributions from leading scholars and industry experts Reference guide for researchers involved in molecular biology and related fields

This detailed collection provides an accessible compendium of up-to-date methods focused on the study of RNAi and small regulatory miRNAs in stem cells. Beginning with a brief introductory section, the volume continues by exploring methods and protocols for RNAi screening, transfection, and the knockdown of specific genes and pathways in several animal species, including humans and mice, recently developed methods for miRNA expression and functional analysis, as well as usage of CRISPR/Cas 9 to knockout an individual gene for functional studies. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, list of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and authoritative, RNAi and Small Regulatory RNAs in Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols aims to accelerate progress in this crucial field by reducing the time required to decipher and put into practice procedures published in the literature.

Nearly 97% of the human genome is the non-coding DNA, which varies from one species to another, and changes in these sequences are frequently noticed to manifest clinical and circumstantial malfunction. Numerous non-protein-coding genes are recently found to encode microRNAs, which are responsible for RNA-mediated gene silencing through RNA interference (RNAi)-like pathways. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small single-stranded 17–25 nucleotide RNAs capable of interfering with intracellular messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that contain either complete or partial complementarity, are useful for the design of new therapies against cancer polymorphism and viral mutation. Currently over 1000 native miRNA species found in vertebrates and many more new miRNA homologs continue to be identified; however, most of their functions remain to be determined. In this book, many new perspectives of the miRNA research are reviewed and discussed, including their roles in stem cell maintenance, embryonic development, tissue differentiation, adult physiology, disease pathology, cancer research, viral infection, genetic engineering in plants, and utility in cosmetic applications. These new findings may not only provide significant insight into the various mechanisms of miRNAs but also offer a great opportunity in developing new therapeutic interventions.

Given this pervasiveness and importance of miRNA-mediated gene regulation, it should come as little surprise that miRNAs themselves are also highly regulated. However, the recent explosion of knowledge on this topic has been remarkable, providing a primary motivation for publication of this book. As miRNAs are transcribed by RNA polymerase II, the enzyme that also generates mRNAs, it was perhaps not unexpected that miRNA transcription would be subject to regulation, and we have willfully mitted this aspect from this monograph. However, what has been unexpected is the extent of post-transcriptional regulation of miRNAs that is illustrated in this book.

New Findings Revolutionize Concepts of Gene FunctionEndogenous small RNAs have been found in various organisms, including humans, mice, flies, worms, fungi, and bacteria. Furthermore, it's been shown that microRNAs acting as cellular rheostats have the ability to modulate gene expression. In higher eukaryotes, microRNAs may regulate as much as 50 p

RNAi technology is used for large-scale screens that systematically shut down each gene in the cell, which can help identify the components necessary for a particular cellular process or an event such as cell division. Exploitation of the pathway is also a promising tool in biotechnology and medicine. Introducing new technology in the study of RNA

This volume describes the latest findings on transcriptional and translational regulation of stem cells. Both transcriptional activators and repressors have been shown to be crucial for the maintenance of the stem cell state. A key element of stem cell maintenance is repression of differentiation factors or developmental genes – achieved transcriptionally, epigenetically by the Polycomb complex, and post-transcriptionally by RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs. This volume takes two approaches to this topic – (1) illustrating the general principles outlined above through a series of different stem cell examples – embryonic, iPS and adult stem cells, and (2) describing several molecular families that have been shown to have roles in regulation of multiple stem cell populations.