WHAT MAKES AN MESSENGER-RNA ANTI-SENSE-ITIVE

Antisense RNA has been used for some time as a versatile tool for sile ncing gene expression. There is ample evidence for gene regulation by endogenous antisense transcripts in prokaryotes and increasing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying such regulation. The introdu ction of antisense gene constructs into eukaryotes has now become rout ine but the mechanisms by which gene expression is inhibited are barel y understood. In recent years, several examples of endogenous eukaryot ic antisense transcripts have been discovered, some of which probably serve regulatory functions. Here we will discuss a model to explain me chanisms of antisense-mediated gene silencing.