Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Morpholino

Morpholinos are synthetic antisense oligonucleotides used in molecular biology to temporarily block gene expression by binding to complementary RNA sequences, thereby preventing translation or splicing. These molecules have become valuable research tools for studying gene function during development because they can…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 1 peer-reviewed article cited Cited 2× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2377-2549 🗓 Reviewed August 2026

Overview

Morpholinos are synthetic antisense oligonucleotides used in molecular biology to temporarily block gene expression by binding to complementary RNA sequences, thereby preventing translation or splicing. These molecules have become valuable research tools for studying gene function during development because they can selectively knock down specific genes without permanently altering the genome. Research published in New Developments in Chemistry has examined morpholino applications in developmental biology, particularly in investigating the evolutionary conservation of Hox genes during vertebrate brain development. Hox genes encode transcription factors that establish body pattern during embryogenesis, and morpholino-based knockdown experiments help researchers determine whether these genes retain similar functions across different vertebrate species. By temporarily silencing specific Hox genes in model organisms, investigators can observe resulting developmental changes and compare these effects across evolutionary lineages. This approach provides insights into how fundamental developmental programs have been maintained or modified throughout vertebrate evolution. The ability of morpholinos to produce reversible, sequence-specific gene knockdown makes them particularly useful for dissecting complex developmental pathways where permanent genetic modifications might be lethal or produce confounding pleiotropic effects.

Research published in this journal

1 peer-reviewed article, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 1 article above has been cited 2 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Morpholino, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in New Developments in Chemistry (ISSN 2377-2549).

Journal editorial board
Annarita Del Gatto · Italy Bharat Gurale · United States Palani ELUMALAI · United Kingdom

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.