High-throughput RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans: genome-wide screens and functional genomics

The phenomenon of RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) was first discovered in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in which introduction of double-stranded RNA causes specific inactivation of genes with corresponding sequences. Technical advances in RNAi methodology and the availability of the complete genome sequence have enabled the high-throughput, genome-wide RNAi analysis of this organism. Several groups have used large-scale RNAi to systematically examine every C. elegans gene for knock-down phenotypes, providing basal information to be mined in more detailed studies. Now, in addition to functional genomic RNAi analyses, high-throughput RNAi is also routinely used for rapid, genome-wide screens for genes involved in specific biological processes. The integration of high-throughput RNAi experiments with other large-scale data, such as DNA microarrays and protein-protein interaction maps, enhances the speed and reliability of such screens. The accumulation of RNAi phenotype data dramatically accelerates our understanding of this organism at the genetic level.