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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

MISSION esiRNA for RNAi Screening in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 12, 2010
RNA interference: a mammalian SID-1 homologue enhances siRNA uptake and gene silencing efficacy in human cells
Mark S Duxbury1, Stanley W Ashley, Edward E Whang
1Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
SID-1 is a transmembrane protein that mediates systemic RNA interference in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we show that the mammalian SID-1 homologue FLJ20174 localizes to the cell membrane of human cells and enhances their uptake of small interfering RNA (siRNA), resulting in increased siRNA-mediated gene silencing efficacy. This is the first demonstration to show that overexpression of a membrane protein enhances siRNA internalization in mammalian cells. This observation raises the possibility of enhancing the efficacy of RNA interference.
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