New reagents for genomic engineering of mouse models to understand human disease
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - 09:14
in Biology & Nature
The ability to specifically target and modify genes in the mouse allows researchers to use this small rodent to study how certain genes contribute to human disease. A common method used to make genetic changes in mice and cells is called site-specific recombination, where two DNA strands are exchanged. The two strands may contain very different sequences, but are designated at their ends by specific target sequences that are not commonly found elsewhere in the genome. A protein, called a recombinase, cuts the DNA at its target sites and rearranges it. Scientists use this technique to exchange a naturally occurring DNA sequence for an altered or deleted gene to gain insight into the gene's normal function or how it contributes to disease...