MadSci Network: Cell Biology
Query:

Re: How would you make the cytoplasm of a cell only recognize it's own RNA

Date: Thu May 18 15:33:16 2000
Posted By: Jeffrey Stiefel, Ph.D, U.S. Army
Area of science: Cell Biology
ID: 957392999.Cb
Message:

Benjamin,

As far as a cell is concerned, RNA is RNA. It doesn't really matter where the RNA came from. Ribosomes will translate the RNA as long as the proper signaling sequences (CAP) are on the RNA. There is no way to treat the cytoplasm of a cell to recognize only that cells RNA (again RNA is RNA).

There are chemical ways (drugs) to interfere with translation, but this affects all translation, to include translation of proteins coded for by the cells DNA. A possible way to target just viral RNA is to make something called antisense RNA. Antisense RNA has the complementary sequence to an mRNA. In case you don't understand what complementary means, here is an example:

                      mRNA sequence        AAGCGGUGUA
                      antisense RNA        UUCGCCACAU 

If this "antisense" RNA is placed in the cytoplasm of an infected cell, it will bind to the mRNA forming double-stranded RNA. Once this occurs, the mRNA is no longer capable of binding to a ribosome (double-stranded RNA is degraded by RNase III). In other words, no protein will be made. This sounds nice but there are problems. You have to know exactly what mRNA(s) you want to make antisense RNA to. You also have to have the ability to get this antisense RNA into infected cells.

I am including several websites that will help you understand how viruses infect a cell and cause the cell to make more virus. I am also including 2 websites that discuss antisense RNA and how this technique has been effectivly used. Good Luck.

Dr Jeffrey Stiefel

http:// www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/BiologyPages/V/Viruses.html
http://www.med.sc.edu/ MICRO/mhunt/RNA-HO.htm

antisense RNA: http:// www.euchromatin.org/Hamilton1.htm
http://wwwbio.ukc.ac.uk/nicholls/notes/BI683/ lect4/3.htm


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