Alizadeh A, Eisen M, Botstein D, Brown P O, Staudt L M
Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
J Clin Immunol. 1998 Nov;18(6):373-9. doi: 10.1023/a:1023293621057.
The identity and abundance of mRNA species within a cell dictate, to a large extent, the biological potential of that cell. Although posttranscriptional mechanisms modify protein expression in critical ways, cellular differentiation requires key changes in gene transcription, as evidenced by the potent phenotypes that result from disruption of transcription factor genes in mice. It is now possible to assess the mRNA profile of a cell globally using recently developed genomics techniques. This review focuses on the potential of cDNA microarrays to define gene expression in lymphoid cells, a field which is in its infancy. Examples of cellular activation genes and cytokine inducible genes discovered using this technology are presented but these represent only a taste of the fruit that this new technology will ultimately bear. Gene expression profiles should provide essential new insights into lymphocyte differentiation and activation, the pathogenesis of immune disorders, and the molecular abnormalities in lymphoid malignancies.
细胞内mRNA种类的特性和丰度在很大程度上决定了该细胞的生物学潜能。尽管转录后机制以关键方式修饰蛋白质表达，但细胞分化需要基因转录发生关键变化，这一点从小鼠中转录因子基因破坏所导致的显著表型中可见一斑。现在利用最近开发的基因组学技术能够全面评估细胞的mRNA谱。本综述聚焦于cDNA微阵列在定义淋巴细胞基因表达方面的潜力，该领域尚处于起步阶段。文中给出了利用这项技术发现的细胞活化基因和细胞因子诱导基因的实例，但这些仅仅是这项新技术最终所能带来成果的一小部分。基因表达谱应该能为淋巴细胞分化与活化、免疫紊乱的发病机制以及淋巴系统恶性肿瘤中的分子异常提供重要的新见解。
