A new tagging method has been created to isolate RNA from specific cells. This new method injects a chemically modified gene, Toxoplasma gondii and activates it in one cell type within a tissue rather than physically separating cell types. The newly generated RNA in this particular cell type is then tagged and isolated.
This new method gives scientists a more accurate idea what the cell is doing. With this method it is possible to ‘listen in’ to the messenger RNA that the nucleus is sending each cell without disturbing the cell. This is helpful for ‘listening’ to host cells before and after the initiation of a disease to determine how cells respond. For example study healthy immune cells versus bacterially-challenged immune cells.
The tool is built with the enzyme uracil phosphoribosyltransferase or UPRT, and a nucleotide salvage enzyme that prepares nucleotides into newly synthesized RNA. When the nucleotide is altered the UPRT enzyme causes the RNA to become tagged with thiouracil (TU) allowing the “TU-tagged” RNA to be purified from untagged RNA.
So far the scientists who created this new tool have tested on embryos, larvae and etc but researchers say that the method should work on other systems as well.
Original Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518101910.htm
By: 42098191
