454 Sequencing™ Reveals New Pathway In RNA Interference

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454 Sequencing™ Reveals New Pathway In RNA Interference

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=55160

CuraGen Corporation's (NASDAQ: CRGN) majority-owned subsidiary 454

Life Sciences today announced that research on small RNAs, conducted

by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, has revealed the dual role of the

ARGONAUTE 4 protein (AGO4) in RNA-directed DNA methylation. The

research, which describes a method for obtaining a comprehensive

view of the total small RNAs from a single sample, was published

today in Nature. The study, entitled, " Distinct Catalytic and Non-

Catalytic Roles of ARGONAUTE4 in RNA-directed DNA Methylation, "

describes how 454 Sequencing™ was used to elucidate the small RNAs

associated with AGO4 and the AGO1 protein.

" Small RNAs have emerged as a means of genetic control that were

completely unsuspected only 10 years ago. Virtually every area of

biology has been affected by the discovery of these pathways. What

we are now finding is that the diversity of small RNAs in many

systems is even greater than previously suspected. The new study

shows this in Arabidopsis (a model plant), where small RNAs have a

major role in controlling the epigenetic organization of the entire

genome, " said Hannon of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, who

led the research. " Conventional DNA sequencing methods gave us

glimpses of the various classes of small RNAs that exist in plants

and animals. However, only with 454 Sequencing have we been able to

fully appreciate the extent of small RNA populations and the breadth

of biological processes they might affect, " Dr. Hannon noted.

" The Genome Sequencer 20™ system allows researchers to rapidly

characterize all of the small RNAs in their samples, " said

Egholm, Ph.D., Vice President, Molecular Biology, 454 Life

Sciences. " 454 Sequencing offers high quality, fast and accurate

sequencing of small RNAs which has revolutionized research in the

mechanisms of RNA interference. "

The role of small RNAs is an exciting and rapidly growing field of

research that is benefiting from technical advances in comprehensive

and rapid sequencing. Small RNAs have several biological functions

essential for cell growth and development. They regulate mRNA

stability and protein synthesis, cause post-transcriptional gene

silencing of transposons, viruses and transgenes, and regulate

chromatin organization and genome structure. This is the second

paper by Dr. Hannon on the use of 454 Sequencing to study small RNA

to be published by Nature. In recent months, several other research

teams using 454 Sequencing to study small RNA in plants, mammals,

and viruses have had their findings published in Science, Nature

Genetics, Journal of Virology, and Genome Research. Dr. Hannon has

generously made the protocol for his method utilizing 454 Sequencing

available for download at http://www.454.com/.

The Genome Sequencer 20™ system (GS 20) is exclusively distributed

for 454 Life Sciences by Roche Applied Science, a division of Roche

Diagnostics. Visit the Roche Diagnostics website for more

information on purchasing 454 products at http://www.roche-applied-

science.com/.