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Related Concept Videos

RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
Experimental RNAi02:15

Experimental RNAi

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs02:30

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
Small interfering RNAs (siRNA)02:30

Small interfering RNAs (siRNA)

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...

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MISSION esiRNA for RNAi Screening in Mammalian Cells
15:31

MISSION esiRNA for RNAi Screening in Mammalian Cells

Published on: May 12, 2010

Transport of sequence-specific RNA interference information between cells.

Antony M Jose1, Craig P Hunter

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. amjose@mcb.harvard.edu

Annual Review of Genetics
|July 25, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Gene silencing signals can travel between cells in some organisms, a process involving RNA and protein machinery. This intercellular communication may play a role in antiviral immunity and warrants further investigation in higher animals.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Eukaryotic cells use RNA interference (RNAi) to silence genes matching double-stranded RNA.
  • In some species, gene silencing extends beyond the initial encounter site via intercellular signal transport.
  • The precise nature of this mobile silencing signal and its transport mechanism are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the intercellular transport of gene-specific silencing signals.
  • To explore the potential role of conserved protein machinery in this process.
  • To understand the evolutionary significance of cell-to-cell silencing communication.

Main Methods:

  • Studies in model organisms like Caenorhabditis elegans and plants.
  • Analysis of conserved protein components involved in signal transport.
  • Comparative genomics and molecular pathway analysis.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests a sequence-specific silencing signal is transported between cells.
  • A complex protein machinery facilitates this intercellular transport.
  • Conserved components of this machinery exist in vertebrates, including mammals.

Conclusions:

  • Intercellular transport of gene silencing signals occurs in diverse organisms.
  • This phenomenon suggests a potential for cell-to-cell communication of genetic information in higher animals.
  • Further research is needed to identify the signal and its evolutionary role, particularly in immunity.