Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

RNA Interference

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...

Experimental RNAi

Experimental RNAi

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the...

Small interfering RNAs (siRNA)

Small interfering RNAs (siRNA)

MicroRNAs

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Implementing Shortened Fasting Protocols Before Cardiac Catheterization: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Journal of patient safety·2026

Same author

Small-molecule modulators of HIPK4 activity and proteostasis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Impact of a Fully Integrated "1-Click" Automated Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Tool on Echocardiography Reporting.

CJC open·2026

Same author

Automated Referral Prompts Reveal Lack of Equitable Access to Care in Patients With Aortic Stenosis.

Structural heart : the journal of the Heart Team·2026

Same author

Secondary Prevention in STEMI Patients: Insights from a Regional Virtual STEMI Clinic.

CJC open·2026

Same author

Improving the management of acute myocardial infarctions: There's an App for that.

American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Manipulation of Gene Function in Mexican Cavefish

Manipulation of Gene Function in Mexican Cavefish

Published on: April 22, 2019

Small Molecule Control of Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotide Function through Staudinger Reduction.

Kristie Darrah¹, Joshua Wesalo¹, Bradley Lukasak¹

¹Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society

|October 27, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed small molecule-triggered caged morpholino antisense agents (cMOs) for precise gene knockdown. These novel agents enable temporal and spatial control of gene expression, advancing tools for embryonic development studies.

More Related Videos

A Reverse Genetic Approach to Test Functional Redundancy During Embryogenesis

A Reverse Genetic Approach to Test Functional Redundancy During Embryogenesis

Published on: August 11, 2010

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Published on: September 21, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Manipulation of Gene Function in Mexican Cavefish

Manipulation of Gene Function in Mexican Cavefish

Published on: April 22, 2019

A Reverse Genetic Approach to Test Functional Redundancy During Embryogenesis

A Reverse Genetic Approach to Test Functional Redundancy During Embryogenesis

Published on: August 11, 2010

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Published on: September 21, 2017

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Developmental Biology
Oligonucleotide Chemistry

Background:

Conditionally activated, caged morpholino antisense agents (cMOs) are crucial for investigating gene expression and function during embryonic development.
Current cMOs typically require light or enzyme triggers for activation, limiting their application in certain biological contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop the first small molecule-responsive cMOs for gene knockdown.
To demonstrate the efficacy of phosphine-triggered cMOs in zebrafish embryos.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of cyclic cMOs utilizing a flexible linker design for chemical activation.
Application of Staudinger reduction for rapid and efficient decaging of cMOs.
Testing cMOs against two developmentally relevant genes in zebrafish embryos.

Main Results:

Successful synthesis of small molecule-responsive cMOs.
Demonstrated phosphine-triggered knockdown of target gene expression in zebrafish embryos.
Established a novel method for bioorthogonal gene knockdown using small molecules.

Conclusions:

Small molecule-triggered cMOs represent a significant advancement in gene knockdown technology.
This new class of cMOs expands the toolkit for spatiotemporal control of gene expression in developmental studies.
The Staudinger reduction-based decaging offers a bioorthogonal and efficient approach for antisense agent activation.