Identification of essential genes in Staphylococcus aureus using inducible antisense RNA.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Yinduo Ji.
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Antisense technology has been widely used to regulate gene expression. A tetracycline (tet)-regulated antisense-RNA-expressing system has been developed and used to downregulate chromosomally derived genes expressed in Staphylococcus aureus. This downregulation subsequently provides an evaluation of the virulence factor and drug targets. The regulated antisense RNA library allows for genome-wide analyses of the functions of staphylococcal gene products for growth in culture and survival during infection. Moreover, this antisense RNA technology may provide a key tool to identify mechanisms of novel antibacterial compound action.
The emergence of antibiotic resistance and multi-drug resistance in bacterial pathogens underscores the need for the development of novel classes of antibiotics. The availability of complete genome sequence data from many important human pathogens provides a wealth of fundamental information. This allows us to define each gene and thus to better understand molecular pathogenesis. New techniques have enabled the identification and characterization of genes that are critical for bacterial growth and survival during infection. The combination of genome sequence data and new technologies make it possible to systematically explore the function of each open reading frame in a genome and identify any potential molecular targets for drug discovery. With particular emphasis on antibacterial therapy, this review discusses genome-based technologies and their important applications to anti-infective drug discovery.