Use of random ribozyme libraries for the rapid screening of apoptosis- and metastasis-related genes

Abstract

Apoptosis and metastasis are complex processes involving many gene products. Various biochemical, genetic and technological approaches are used to identify functional gene products, and are valuable for understanding basic biology and disease. However, now that sequence information is abundant and accessible through databases, there is a simpler, more definitive technology to identify genes that are the most relevant to biological phenomena of interest. A rapid screening system using libraries of randomized ribozymes has been developed that identifies key gene products involved in a defined phenotype using a functional gene ‘knock-down’ approach. Libraries of randomized ribozymes have been used to identify genes involved in pathways of apoptosis and metastasis, and there is great potential for this system to identify genes involved in other processes and diseases as well.