ASSAY FOR IDENTIFYING AGENTS THAT MODULATE EPIGENETIC SILENCING, AND AGENTS IDENTIFIED THEREBY

摘要

A high throughput RNAi-based assay for identify factors involved in maintaining epigenetic silencing is disclosed. The assay measures reactivation of a silent reporter gene in cells, resulting from RNAi-based knockdown in target mRNA. RNAi-based screening of these silent reporter cells has identified known enzymes that place or remove epigenetic marks on histones, as well as non-enzymatic proteins that function in silencing or in transfer of marks during S-phase. In addition, the screen has been used to identify a number of novel gene products involved in epigenetic silencing, which are also disclosed.