What is RNA mediated interference?
Abstract. Double-stranded RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) is a simple and rapid method of silencing gene expression in a range of organisms. The silencing of a gene is a consequence of degradation of RNA into short RNAs that activate ribonucleases to target homologous mRNA.
What is RNA interference technology?
RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological process in which RNA molecules are involved in sequence-specific suppression of gene expression by double-stranded RNA, through translational or transcriptional repression. RNAi is now known as precise, efficient, stable and better than antisense therapy for gene suppression.
How does RNA interference medicine work?
Our medicines use RNA interference (RNAi) to “silence” or turn off the production of specific genes that cause disease or that contribute to disease. RNAi is a natural biological process that regulates gene expression by “interfering” with messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries DNA’s instructions for making new proteins.
How is RNA interference RNAi used as a form of gene therapy?
Another type of gene therapy currently being researched is RNAi. Much like turning off a light switch, RNA interference (RNAi) offers the ability to selectively silence or “turn off” the activity of a single gene.
How does dsRNA inhibit gene expression?
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can specifically inhibit gene expression in a variety of organisms by invoking post-transcriptional degradation of homologous mRNA. Taken together, these data indicate that RNA-mediated gene silencing can occur through a RNAi-like mechanism in fission yeast.
How does RNA interference occur in eukaryotes?
RNAi takes place in all eukaryotic organisms as a method of cellular defense. This method involves a specific mRNA silencing. It is due to a complementary dsRNA molecule which binds to and prevents translation of the mRNA causing its silencing.
How might siRNA technology use therapeutically?
The siRNA therapeutic approach – stopping the production of an undesirable protein before it has even been made – has been described as “stopping the flood by turning off the faucet as compared to today’s medicines that simply mop up the floor.” siRNAs work by degrading mRNA in a highly specific manner.
How is RNAi a useful research tool?
RNA interference is already proving to be an invaluable research tool, allowing much more rapid characterisation of the function of known genes. More importantly, the technology considerably bolsters functional genomics to aid in the identification of novel genes involved in disease processes.
What is the role of dsRNA?
Double-strand RNA (dsRNA) is a signal for gene-specific silencing of expression in a number of organisms. ds-RNA can also suppress expression of specific genes in plants, a component of the phenomenon called cosuppression (Vionnet et al.