Methods of discovering chemicals capable of functioning as gene expression modulators

US20080009060A1Inactive Publication Date: 2008-01-10FOULKES J +4
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2008-01-10
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

The present invention provides a method of transcriptionally modulating the expression of a gene-of-interest. The method comprises contacting a cell which is capable of expressing the gene with an amount of a molecule effective to transcriptionally modulate expression of the gene and thereby affect the level of the protein encoded by the gene which is expressed by the cell. Molecules useful in the practice of the invention are characterized as follows (a) do not naturally occur in the cell, (b) bind to DNA or RNA or bind to a protein through a domain of such protein which is not a ligand binding domain of a receptor which naturally occurs in the cell. Additionally, this invention provides a method for determining whether a molecule known to be a modulator of protein biosynthesis is capable of transcriptionally modulating expression of a gene-of-interest.
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Description

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 382,712, filed Jul. 18, 1989 the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Throughout this application, various publications are referenced by Arabic numerals within parentheses. Full citations for these publications may be found at the end of the specification immediately preceding the claims. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art as known to those skilled therein as of the date of the invention described and claimed herein.

[0003] The expression of a specific gene can be regulated at any step in the process of producing an active protein. Modulation of total protein activity may occur via transcriptional, transcript-processing, translational or post-translational mechanisms. Transcription may be modulated by a...

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Embodiment Construction

[0131] The present invention provides a method of transcriptionally modulating the expression of a homologous gene-of-interest, the expression of which is associated with a defined physiological or pathological effect within a multicellular organism. The method comprises contacting a cell which is capable of expressing the gene with an amount of a molecule effective to transcriptionally modulate the expression of the gene. Modulating the expression of the gene affects the level of the protein encoded by the gene which is expressed by the cell. As used herein a homologous gene-of-interest means a gene which is naturally associated with an organism or virus encoding and expressing the gene. Therefore, this definition would not include a synthetic or recombinant gene constructed by genetic engineering methods so as to position the gene-of-interest under the control of a heterologous promoter.

[0132] The term “physiological effect” as used herein is defined as an effect characteristic o...