Custom MicroRNA Expression with Retrovirus & Lentivirus

MicroRNA (miRNA) are small, single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules containing 21 to 23 nucleotides. MicroRNAs resemble the small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, except that microRNAs derive from regions of RNA transcripts that fold back on themselves to form short hairpins, whereas siRNAs derive from longer regions of double-stranded RNA. In cells of humans and other mammals, microRNAs silence gene expression primarily by destabilizing the mRNA whereas siRNAs cleaving the mRNA.

MicroRNA genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) while siRNAs are transcribed by RNA polymerase III (Pol III). MicroRNA transcript is capped with a specially modified nucleotide at the 5′ end, and polyadenylated with multiple adenosines into a poly(A) tail.

BiCell Scientific’s microRNA expression service provides customized microRNA gene cloning and packaging services into retrovirus or lentivirus. The pre-packaged and ready-to-use retrovirus or lentivirus can infect a variety of mammalian cells to induce microRNA-dependent gene silencing.