Studying RNA-Binding Protein Interactions with Target mRNAs in Eukaryotic Cells: Native Ribonucleoprotein Immunoprecipitation (RIP) Assays

Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA can potently dictate protein expression patterns in eukaryotic cells. This mode of regulation occurs through cis-acting regulatory regions in the mRNA transcript that mediate direct interactions with trans-acting RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). This mRNA/protein interaction can be studied in numerous ways that range from in vitro to in vivo through messenger ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation (mRNP-IP or RIP) assays. This modified immunoprecipitation approach is an important and sensitive method to determine the regulation of gene expression by specific RBPs under different cellular stressors.

Source: Springer protocols feed by Genetics/Genomics - January 1, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: news