UQ researchers develop new gene expression technique

UQ researchers develop new gene expression technique

University of Queensland researchers have patented a simple yet elegant way to control gene expression with exciting possibilities for use in plant technology and in treating human disease.

The method has the potential to work across all organisms, according to researchers in the Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR) in the Medicine Department at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

"The technique could result in scientists being able to target the treatment of cancer cells without causing damage to normal cells," CICR director Professor Ian Frazer said. "It could also allow for pesticides to be expressed only in the parts of plants which are not eaten by humans."

Gene expression is the expression of information in organisms to determine such physical characteristics as hair or eye colour, or resistance to disease.

Professor Frazer said the new method, reported in the Journal of Virology, was a simpler alternative to the most popular techniques used today, which had largely been patented by multinational companies. "Each cell type has its own genetic code. It's always puzzled me that the current methods of regulating genes are sophisticated, work simultaneously and don't look as though they have evolved easily," he said.

"This method doesn't require plants or animals to evolve early a complex mechanism for regulation of gene expression. It relies on the fact that genes are put together using some genetic codes which are redundant. It seems different cell types have preferences for using redundant code and assemble genes using preferred codes."

The work results from a practical observation by CICR researcher the late Dr Jian Zhou three years ago while researching papillomaviruses.

"Jian and I found that each cell contains particular molecules know as tRNAs, and if you matched genes to the different tRNAs you would achieve gene expression where you wanted it," Professor Frazer said. "The observation was serendipitous. It resulted in a set of data, which took some years of hard work, heated discussion and a set of experiments to expand into a theory and a method of putting it into practice." The technique has been further developed by Professor Frazer and more recently Dr Wen Jun Liu at the CICR.

This method has been patented via UniQuest Pty Ltd, the University's technology transfer company. Professor Frazer discussed the technology with a number of interested biotechnology companies at the recent Bio99 meeting in Seattle.

For further information, contact Professor Ian Frazer, telephone 07 3240 5315.