Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

RNAi Interference by dsRNA Injection into Drosophila Embryos
Published on: April 11, 2011
Silencing of genes in cultured Drosophila neurons by RNA interference
Shail K Sharma1, Marshall Nirenberg
1Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Abstract:
Cultures of neuroblasts that generate abundant neurons were established from Drosophila embryos to study silencing of genes by RNA interference (RNAi). Cultured cells expressed ELAV, a marker of neurons, Futsch, a marker of neurites, and Synapsin, Synaptobrevin, and Synaptogamin, proteins involved in neurotransmitter secretion. Conditions were found for efficient transfection of cells with siRNAs for ELAV or the insulin-like receptor, which resulted in marked decreases in neurons that express ELAV and Futsch. Cells also were successfully transfected with long-chain Sox-Neuro dsRNA resulting in a 55% reduction of neurons expressing Futsch. The results suggest that this cultured neural cell system can be used to study RNAi-dependent silencing of genes involved in many kinds of neural functions.
Related Concept Videos
Experimental RNAi
RNA Interference
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 Interference
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...
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
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)
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...

