Gene silencing through the use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) has become a primary tool for identifying disease-causing genes. There are several aspects for preparing and delivering effective siRNA to knockdown a target gene. The length of siRNA should be 21–23nt long with G/C content 30–50%. If a validated siRNA sequence for your target gene is not available, use siRNA generated against the entire target gene ORF. Always work with two or three different siRNA constructs to get reliable results. If you are not sure how much siRNA to use for a given experiment, start with a transfection concentration of 10-50 nM and use siRNA-specific transfection reagent to ensure efficient siRNA delivery in a wide range of cells.
Get tips on using Lipofectamine® 2000 Transfection Reagent to perform siRNA / miRNA gene silencing Human - Primary Endometrial Stromal Cells IGFBP1 (Insuline-like growth factor binding protein-1) Lipid
As autophagy is a multi-step process which includes not just the formation of autophagosomes, but most importantly, flux through the entire system, including the degradation upon fusion with lysosomes, which makes it quite challenging for detection. There are several methods for detection in mammalian cells, including immunoblotting analysis of LC3 and p62 and detection of autophagosome formation/maturation by fluorescence microscopy, Currently, there is no single “gold standard” for determining the autophagic activity that is applicable in every experimental context, hence it is recommended to go for the combined use of multiple methods to accurately assess the autophagic activity in any given biological setting.
Get tips on using EpiTect Bisulfite Kit to perform DNA methylation profiling Gene specific profiling - RH30 rhabdomyosarcoma IGF2
A PCR reaction consists of the template DNA, two primers covering the amplification site, an enzyme, and buffers. Multiplexing such a reaction amplifies the design challenges where one target requires 3 primers, which should be exclusively bound nowhere in the template DNA or to each other. Similarly, two targets require 6, three require 9, and so on. Each amplicon needs to be either a different size (for gels) or labeled with a different fluorescent tag that is spectrally distinct from the others in the reaction. Further complicating this, different targets in the reaction can compete with each other for resources and causes more challenges in the detection of amplicons. However, with proper primer designing, their validation, optimize quality and concentration of the enzyme and buffers certainly lead to a successful multiplex PCR reaction.
A PCR reaction consists of the template DNA, two primers covering the amplification site, an enzyme, and buffers. Multiplexing such a reaction amplifies the design challenges where one target requires 3 primers, which should be exclusively bound nowhere in the template DNA or to each other. Similarly, two targets require 6, three require 9, and so on. Each amplicon needs to be either a different size (for gels) or labeled with a different fluorescent tag that is spectrally distinct from the others in the reaction. Further complicating this, different targets in the reaction can compete with each other for resources and causes more challenges in the detection of amplicons. However, with proper primer designing, their validation, optimize quality and concentration of the enzyme and buffers certainly lead to a successful multiplex PCR reaction.
As autophagy is a multi-step process which includes not just the formation of autophagosomes, but most importantly, flux through the entire system, including the degradation upon fusion with lysosomes, which makes it quite challenging for detection. There are several methods for detection in mammalian cells, including immunoblotting analysis of LC3 and p62 and detection of autophagosome formation/maturation by fluorescence microscopy, Currently, there is no single “gold standard” for determining the autophagic activity that is applicable in every experimental context, hence it is recommended to go for the combined use of multiple methods to accurately assess the autophagic activity in any given biological setting.
Flow cytometry is an immunophenotyping technique whereby sing cell suspensions are stained for either cell surface markers or intracellular proteins by fluorescently-labelled antibodies and analyzed with a flow cytometer, where fluorescently-labelled molecules are excited by the laser to emit light at varying wavelengths, which is then detected by the instrument. There are several key criteria which are required to be kept in mind while designing a flow experiment- 1. Antibody titration (optimal dilution of antibodies should be calculated in order to avoid over- or under- saturated signals for proper detection of surface and intracellular markers), 2. Precision (3 or more replicates of the sample should be used per experiment), 3. Specificity (proper isotype controls should be included in the experiment), 4. Day-to-day variability (experiments should be repeated 3 or more times to ensure consistency and avoid variability due to flow cytometer settings), 5. Antibody interaction (Fluorescence minus one or FMO should be used, which is the comparison of signals from panel minus one antibody vs. the full panel), and 6. Antibody stability (fluorescently-labelled antibodies should be stored at 4C).
A restriction enzyme or restriction endonuclease is defined as a protein that recognizes a specific, short nucleotide sequence and cuts the DNA only at or near that site, known as restriction site or target sequence. The four most common types of restriction enzymes include: Type I (cleaves at sites remote from a recognition site), Type II (cleaves within or at short specific distances from a recognition site), Type III (cleave at sites a short distance from a recognition site), and Type IV (targets modified DNA- methylated, hydroxymethylated and glucosyl-hydroxymethylated DNA). The most common challenges with restriction digest include- 1. inactivation of the enzyme, 2. incomplete or no digestion, and 3. unexpected cleavage. The enzyme should always be stored at -20C and multiple freeze-thaw cycles should be avoided in order to maintain optimal activity. Always use a control DNA digestion with the enzyme to ensure adequate activity (to avoid interference due to high glycerol in the enzyme). For complete digestion, make sure that the enzyme volume is 1/10th of the total reaction volume, the optimal temperature is constantly maintained throughout the reaction, the total reaction time is appropriately calculated based on the amount of DNA to be digested, appropriate buffers should be used to ensure maximal enzymatic activity, and in case of a double digest, make sure that the two restriction sites are far enough so that the activity of one enzyme cannot interfere with the activity of the other. Star activity (or off-target cleavage) and incomplete cleavage are potential challenges which may occur due to suboptimal enzymatic conditions or inappropriate enzyme storage. To avoid these, follow the recommended guidelines for storage and reactions, and always check for the efficacy of digestion along with purification of digested products on an agarose gel.
Short hairpin or small hairpin RNA (shRNA) is artificial RNA, which has a hairpin loop structure, and uses inherent microRNA (miRNA) machinery to silence target gene expression. This is called RNA interference (RNAi). These can be delivered via plasmids or viral/bacterial vectors. Challenges in shRNA-mediated gene silencing include 1. Off-target silencing, 2. Packaging shRNA encoding lentivirus, and 3. Stable transduction in cells. RNAi has been designed to have anywhere from 19-27 bs, but the most effective design has 19 bp. In case commercial shRNAs are not available, potential target sites can be chosen within exon, 5’- or 3’ UTR, depending on which splice variants of the gene are desired. One should use the latest algorithms and choose at least two different sequences, targeting different regions, in order to have confidence in overcoming off-target effects. A BLAST search after selecting potential design will eliminate potential off-target sequences. For the second challenge, sequencing the vector using primers for either strand (50-100 bp upstream) is suggested, along with using enzymatic digestion on agarose gel for the vector. Next, once the shRNA-containing vector is packaged in a virus, it is important to check the viral titer before transduction. Finally, using a marker in the lentiviral vector (fluorescent protein or antibiotic resistance), along with qPCR for target gene expression can help in determining the efficacy of transduction and shRNA on its target site.
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