Toulmé J J, Bourget C, Compagno D, Yurchenko L
INSERM U 386, IFR Pathologies Infectieuses, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, France.
Parasitology. 1997;114 Suppl:S45-59.
Chemically-modified oligonucleotides are now routinely used to prevent gene expression in cell-free media and in cultured cells. The binding of an antisense sequence to a complementary RNA target may lead to the selective inhibition of the encoded information. This may occur at different levels: splicing; transport of the mature RNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm; translation. Antisense oligonucleotides constitute an interesting tool to shed some light on gene function. They are also potential new therapeutic agents against pathogenic organisms. This review discusses the rules that guide the design of an antisense oligomer and the choice of a target sequence. Examples of the potential use of antisense oligonucleotides in the fields of virology and parasitology, in particular in relation to trypanosomatids, are described.
化学修饰的寡核苷酸目前常用于在无细胞培养基和培养细胞中阻止基因表达。反义序列与互补RNA靶标的结合可能导致对编码信息的选择性抑制。这可能发生在不同水平：剪接；成熟RNA从细胞核到细胞质的转运；翻译。反义寡核苷酸是揭示基因功能的一个有趣工具。它们也是对抗病原体的潜在新型治疗剂。本文综述了指导反义寡聚物设计和靶序列选择的规则。描述了反义寡核苷酸在病毒学和寄生虫学领域潜在应用的实例，特别是与锥虫有关的应用。
